Pooran to Pant: 'That first step you take, that's when you become motivated'

Nicholas Pooran has been where Rishabh Pant is at the moment. An accident similar to the one Pant was in late last year had put Pooran in hospital eight-and-some years ago; he required two surgeries, and it was a good six months before he could walk again. Pooran understands that the position Pant is in might leave him "depressed and frustrated", but is confident he will bounce back.

Pooran, playing for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2023, said he has been in touch with Pant, who will be out of action at least for the rest of the year. Pant was present at his team Delhi Capitals' home game against Gujarat Titans a few days back, but needed help to get out of the car and get to his seat at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

"It's very challenging. It's one where no one understands. Sometimes, I can remember… I have been chatting with Rishabh obviously. Both of us have a really good relationship. But there's times when you go into a place where you're very depressed, and frustrated, because you want the healing process to happen so fast. But it's difficult," Pooran said ahead of Super Giants' next game, on Saturday at home against Punjab Kings.

On December 30 last year, Pant was driving to see his mother in Roorkee in Uttarakhand when his car hit a road divider at around 5.30am. He escaped without life-threatening injuries even as his car went up in flames. He has since undergone knee-ligament surgery at a Mumbai hospital.

It was in January 2015, when he was just past his 19th birthday, when Pooran, while driving back from a training session at home in Trinidad & Tobago, swerved to avoid an oncoming car, drove into a sand heap and back on to the road, where another car rammed into him. He was knocked out and regained consciousness only after reaching a hospital. He required surgeries to repair the left patellar tendon, which had ruptured, and on his right leg to repair an ankle fracture.

Speaking from his experience dealing with the low phase, Pooran said, "Sometimes you don't see progress. In life, you want to see progress, you want it to happen so fast, but it doesn't happen the whole time. It's very challenging, but [you] need to believe in yourself.

"Need to believe that whatever happened, happened for a reason. Can't question it, because you won't get an answer. You need to believe in your God as well. Have faith in yourself, have faith in your hard work."

And then, if all goes well, things change for the better. For Pooran, it was seven months before he could start jogging again, and another month before he took part in his first net session.

"As soon as you see… that first step you take, once you can see that improvement, I think that's when you become motivated," he said. "Rishabh will come out of this. He's a strong guy. He will come out of this. And he will be better. You just need to believe in yourself; he needs to spend time with himself and understand who are the people for him and who is against him. This is where you know who are your family and who are your friends.

"It's a difficult period in anyone's life. Everyone has different challenges. Challenges come in different forms and ways. But it's a blessing in disguise [in a way], and you'll figure it out. Everyone goes through challenges. He'll get back up."