‘He is a Miracle Kid’: Wasim Akram Lavishes Praise on Rishabh Pant Following Phenomenal Comeback – News18
Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram has lavished big praise on Rishabh Pant after his spectacular comeback following a horrific car accident. During a media interaction session, Wasim revealed how he was terrified after getting the news of the Indian wicketkeeper’s horrific accident in December 2022. The Pakistan great then reflected on a massive showcase of strength from Pant in his return to professional cricket. “Look at Pant’s performance, the miracle that he has performed by showing he is superhuman by returning from his tragedy. The way his accident happened, we were all worried in Pakistan, I was worried and tweeted about him.” Wasim said, as per multiple outlets.
Pant suffered a life-threatening road accident while travelling from Delhi to Roorkee in 2022. Pant spent almost the whole of the next year in recovery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He eventually made a return to professional cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this year. He put up some staggering numbers for the Delhi Capitals.
Speaking about his performances in the franchise tournament, Akram said, “He came back and averaged 40 in the IPL, 446 runs at a strike rate of 155, he’s a miracle kid.” Referring to Rishabh Pant’s performances in Test Cricket, Wasim also talked about how it was special to see the Indian wicketkeeper dominate bowlers like James Anderson and Pat Cummins.
“Especially what he has been through in that horrific accident, coming back from that, how mentally strong must that boy be? The way he used to play in Test cricket, the way he performed in Australia with the century then. The way he batted against England, playing a reverse sweep against Anderson in Test cricket, even Cummins. He’s special.” Akram said.
Following a stellar IPL season, Pant was selected in the Indian squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. He put up some crucial performances for Team India at the ICC event. India, under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, won the tournament for the second time in history.
Pant is currently representing India in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh on home soil. He announced his return to red-ball cricket after a one-year hiatus with a century. He added 109 in the second innings of the opening Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The hosts will next take on Bangladesh in the second Test scheduled to start on September 27.
