Pant's 'road to recovery has begun' after successful surgery following car crash

Rishabh Pant says his "road to recovery has begun" following a serious car crash which he was "lucky to survive".

Local police said Pant's car collided with a road divider and then caught fire after the India wicketkeeper "dozed off" on January 30, near his hometown of Roorkee, Uttarakhand.

The 25-year-old was hospitalised with injuries to his head, back and legs, before he was later airlifted to Mumbai to undergo further surgery.

Swapn Kishore Singh, superintendent of Haridwar rural police, told the Times of India Pant was "lucky to survive" the crash, with pictures of the cricketer's wrecked car widely shared on social media.

I am humbled and grateful for all the support and good wishes. I am glad to let you know that my surgery was a success. The road to recovery has begun and I am ready for the challenges ahead. Thank you to the @BCCI , @JayShah & government authorities for their incredible support.

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) January 16, 2023

Pant reported on Monday his surgery had been a success and showed gratitude for the well-wishes he had received, saying on Twitter: "I am humbled and grateful for all the support and good wishes.

"I am glad to let you know that my surgery was a success.

"The road to recovery has begun and I am ready for the challenges ahead.

"From the bottom of my heart, I also would like to thank all my fans, team-mates, doctors and the physios for your kind words and encouragement.

"[I am] looking forward to see you all on the field."