Rishabh Pant out of ICU but extent of leg injuries unclear

Rishabh Pant is out of the ICU, but the extent of injuries on his knee, toe and ankle is not yet known as he is still not in shape to go through MRI scans.

Pant was on his way from Delhi to see his mother in Roorkee in Uttarakhand when his car crashed into a road divider on December 30. He miraculously escaped without life-threatening injuries even as the car went up in flames.

After immediate emergency care in Roorkee, Pant was moved to Max Hospital in Dehradun where he currently awaits discharge in a private ward. The BCCI has formed a panel of its own doctors who are in touch with the doctors at the Dehradun hospital. The line of treatment is being determined by both panels in unison.

Preliminary scans were done on December 30 to eliminate brain and spine injuries, but the scans on the knee and foot were held back because of the pain and swelling. Also, plastic surgery was performed to treat lacerative and abrasion wounds and facial injuries. However, the pending MRI has not yet been performed.

The BCCI is hopeful Pant gets discharged and is fit to travel in the coming two to three days so that its panel of doctors can start determining the extent of the two suspected ligament tears as early as possible. It is not yet known if the injuries will require a surgery or just rehab. It is too early to think of a timeframe in which he can come back to athletic activity first and then top-flight cricket. He hasn't started walking yet.

Hardik: Pant 'would have made a big difference' against Sri Lanka
"What happened is very unfortunate, no one has control over it. As a team we wish him all the best, our love and prayers are always with him," Hardik Pandya, India's captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka which starts on Tuesday, told reporters. "Wish him a speedy recovery. Obviously, he was a very important part of the team, now everyone knows the situation and lot of other people can get opportunities.

"Yes, Pant, if he was also there, he would have made a big difference because of the player he is, but now he is not there so we can't control it. We will see what the future holds for us."

India's three big assignments in 2023 are the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (Tests against Australia) in India in February-March, a possible World Test Championship final in England in their summer, and the ODI World Cup in India's early winter.

Pant's chances of making it to the first of these are slim although it can't quite be ruled out. The other big event for Pant will be the IPL where he captains Delhi Capitals.