Team India cricketer Rishabh Pant was involved in a horrific car accident in December 2022 which nearly cost the young star his life. Pant was out of international cricket for more than a year which multiple serious injured suffered in the accident on the Dehradun highway.
Pant is only alive thanks to a couple of good Samaritans, who pulled him out of his burning vehicle in the nick of time. Rajat Kumar, the 25-year-old man who rescued Pant from his burning car in 2022, attempted suicide along with his girlfriend by consuming poison. The tragic incident occurred on February 9 in Buchha Basti, a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district.
The two people who saved Rishabh Pant’s life after his accident had no idea who he was.@beastieboy07 travels back to India to retrace the steps from Pant’s accident to his return, but also much more than that.
The tale of Rishabh’s recovery, from those closest to him
pic.twitter.com/UuzaJBN0QT
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) November 23, 2024
Rajat and his 21-year-old girlfriend, Manu Kashyap, allegedly consumed poison after their families opposed to their union. While Manu succumbed during treatment, Rajat remains in critical condition, fighting for his life in a hospital, according to a report in NDTV.
Media reports suggest their families had arranged separate marriages for them, refusing to accept their relationship due to caste differences. This rejection is believed to have driven them to take the extreme step. Following Manu’s death, her mother accused Rajat of kidnapping and poisoning her daughter.
Rajat had shot into the national spotlight in December 2022 when he, along with another local resident, Nishu Kumar, rescued cricketer Rishabh Pant from a near-fatal car crash. Pant’s Mercedes collided with a divider and burst into flames near Roorkee while he was driving from Delhi to Uttarakhand.
The two factory workers witnessed the accident and immediately rushed to help, pulling Mr. Pant from the burning vehicle and arranging medical assistance. Their courageous act was widely praised, and in recognition of their heroism, Pant later gifted them scooters as a token of gratitude. The cricketer made a remarkable recovery and returned to the sport the following year.
The Indian wicketkeeper underwent intensive rehabilitation session at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to recover from a damaged ligament in his right knee, a hurt wrist and ankle as well as abrasions on his back.
Pant returned to Indian Premier League (IPL) in the 2024 season with the Delhi Capitals. Since then he has been bought by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a record Rs 27 crore and will be leading the side in the IPL 2025 season.
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