With Kolkata Knight Riders taking on Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League on Monday, franchise co-owner Shah Rukh Khan sent a special message for Rishabh Pant while sharing his first reaction about the serious car accident involving the wicketkeeper-batter. Pant suffered multiple injuries in a tragic car accident near Roorkee, Uttarakhand, in 2022.
Undergoing initial treatment at a Dehradun hospital, Pant was airlifted to Mumbai, where he remained under the supervision of BCCI’s specialist consultant. Pant underwent surgeries to reconstruct all three ligaments in his right knee. The Indian southpaw completed rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru before staging an impressive comeback at the IPL 2024.
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‘I saw the CCTV footage and…’
In a video shared by KKR during their match against DC, co-owner Shah Rukh said that he was ‘horrified’ after knowing about Rishabh Pant’s car accident. “That was horrifying. I saw that video (of his car). It was horrifying! Because we didn’t know then, what was the result of that accident. So, you get the worst feelings. To me, these boys are like my own sons. I have youngsters in my team as well. I hoped he wasn’t injured badly,” Shah Rukh told Star Sports.
“And a sportsman getting injured, it’s a double jeopardy. Worse than that, us getting injured. I wish him all the best. I hope his knee gets fully recovered soon. In the last game, when I met him, I was telling him don’t get up, it must be hurting. I was hugging him and asking are you well? I had not seen him before that, post the accident. I am really happy that he’s back, playing well and I hope he keeps on playing well,” Shah Rukh added.
When Shah Rukh met Pant at Vizag
Shah Rukh and Pant garnered the attention of IPL fans with their unforgettable interaction at Vizag. KKR’s co-owner SRK graced the venue to congratulate players after KKR outclassed DC in Delhi’s home game at Vizag. While Pant stood up to greet King Khan, the celebrated cator urged him to remain seated. Pant and SRK shared a warm hug and exchanged some words after the IPL match. Shah Rukh was lauded for his special gesture at the time.
How Pant performed against KKR at Eden Gardens
Batting first in match No.47 of the IPL 2024, Pant’s Delhi Capitals were reduced to 101-7 in 13.3 overs at the Eden Gardens. DC skipper Pant smashed two fours and one six in his 20-ball 27 against the two-time winners. Pant was dismissed by spinner Varun Chakaravarthy in the 10th over of the DC innings. Pant has 397 runs to his name in 11 games this season. The DC skipper is the fourth-highest run-getter in the IPL 2024.