When Rishabh Pant first burst onto the international scene, there was this element of daredevilness that you don't associate with many cricketers. But Pant's rise as a cricketer was not limited to that attitude only. Beneath the helmet, and behind the cranium, there was an astute cricket brain that worked overtime. He would pick his spots, plan the most outrageous shots against bowlers of the highest quality, and more often than not would pull it off with ease. Few could imagine, fewer tried it. The sheer unpredictability that he brought with him on the field made him an instant box-office hit. It just added one more dimension to the game of glorious uncertainties.

From a distance, he looked like a rebel, but not without a cause, questioning the rich heritage of the game of playing with a straight bat, judiciously leaving deliveries early in an innings, and resisting the temptation to loft the ball prematurely -all of which resonates well with the purists. Virender Sehwag started it, and Pant took it to a different level altogether.

It looked great from the stands. Even better on television. Pant was already a crowd puller. A star even before he could realise it, before a horrific car accident on December 30, 2022, threatened to take all that away from him. By his own admission, the 27-year-old thought that his career was over. But Pant being Pant, there is nothing that follows the usual norm of life. When most would be looking to just get back on their feet, he was back playing for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024. The miraculous recovery in one and a half years is one for the books.

Pant not just played but led from the front for the Capitals. Although Delhi finished sixth in the points table in IPL 2024, with seven wins and as many losses, the 27-year-old scored 446 runs in 13 matches - the highest for his team that season. In sports, comebacks for the ages are few and far between. This was perhaps a comeback from the jaws of death.

Although the IPL showed glimpses of his past, international form eluded him. In 2024, he scored 576 runs in 9 Test matches at an average of 36. In 2025, he has only played 1 Test and managed to score 101 runs, which includes a fifty.

Rishabh Pant since his comeback to cricket after car accident

Format	Year - 2024	Year - 2025
Tests	576 runs in 9 matches	101 runs in 1 match
ODIs	6 runs in 1 match	Not played
T20Is	222 runs in 10 matches	Not played
IPL	446 runs in 13 matches	128 runs in 11 matches

With every series, there was growing pressure of expectations. Then came the mega-auctions, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bought him for a record INR 27 crore. The staggering amount was only a part of the three-year deal, but LSG's faltering fortunes in IPL 2025 also became a talking point with heightened scrutiny on the return on investment. The attitude and an astute cricket brain that we spoke earlier, came from his unfiltered approach and a clear mind. He knew exactly what he was doing and backed himself to the core.

With every passing match in this IPL, Pant does not even seem to be a shadow of his past. A clouded mind, shrouded in fog, and a season that seems to be getting longer and longer for him - both with the bat and as a leader. Surely, Pant did not pick up a cricket bat to earn INR 27 crore someday, but for the sheer joy it brought to his life. That fun element seems to be missing, and it happens to the best of all. A cricketer who once played with unbridled joy and fearlessness, now seems to be searching for clarity.

The evocative lines from the song "Behti hawa sa tha woh, Udti patang sa tha woh, Kahan gaya usae dhoondo" from the movie 3 Idiots beautifully encapsulate Pant's current state—his rise, his flair, and the challenges he's currently facing. The once-dominant force has left us looking for answers to return to the heights he once soared. It can be a challenge for many, but for Pant, it certainly would not be so much of a task. For someone whose resilience got him back to the mainstream of life, the zenith of cricketing glory is just a reverse scoop away. It is important for IPL - but even more for India.

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