Hardik Pandya on Rishabh Pant’s accident: “What happened is very unfortunate; no one had control over it”

Hardik Pandya, Team India’s captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka, has described Rishabh Pant’s car accident as a very unfortunate incident, adding that no one has control over such things.

Pant was not picked in the Indian squad for the white-ball series at home versus Sri Lanka, which begins on Tuesday, January 3. However, according to reports, he looks set to miss the four-match Test series against Australia next month and is doubtful for the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well.

The 25-year-old suffered multiple injuries after his car crashed into a divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway on December 30. He is currently being treated at the Max Hospital in Dehradun. Addressing a press conference on the eve of the India-Sri Lanka T20I series, Hardik shared his thoughts on his teammate’s accident and said:

“See, what happened is very unfortunate; no one had control over it. As a team, we wish him all the best. Our love and prayers are always with him that he gets a speedy recovery.”

The all-rounder admitted that Pant’s absence would be felt by the team, considering the kind of player he is. Hardik, however, added that it is also an opportunity for some of the others to flourish. The 29-year-old opined:

“Obviously, he was very important. But now everyone knows where the situation stands and there are a lot of people who can get opportunities. If Rishabh also would have been there, it would have been a big difference because of the kind of player he is. But now, we have to see what the future holds for us and go forward with it.”

While Pant had a poor time in white-ball cricket in 2022, he continued to flourish in red-ball cricket, smashing two hundreds in the format.

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“Have told the boys, just go out there and express” - Hardik Pandya

The squad led by Hardik for the T20Is against Sri Lanka has a lot of youngsters, with the senior trio of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul not part of the team. Asked what message he and the team management have given the players, the captain revealed:

“We have told the boys, just go out there and express, which they will do. We are going to back them to the core. Who are here are are the best cricketers in the country. I have to make them believe that. If I can get that confidence in them, then I don’t think they will have any problems in international cricket. They will flourish and have amazing careers ahead.”

The first T20I of the India-Sri Lanka series will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, January 3. The subsequent games will be held on January 5 (Pune) and January 7 (Rajkot).