New Delhi, Dec 30: Rishabh Pant's plan to surprise his mother ahead of the new year turned into a horrific accident after his car collided with a road divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway in the wee hours on Friday.
The star India wicket-keeper batter was lucky to survive serious injuries due to his alertness, jumping off his Mercedes in the nick of time as the car went up in flames after hitting the divider.
Dr. Sushil Nagar, who was the first to attend to Pant in the emergency ward of Saksham Hospital near Roorkee, said the cricketer didn't suffer any fracture but there was a ligament injury on his knee which would require further investigation.
"When he was brought to our hospital, he was fully conscious and I spoke to him. He wanted to surprise his mother and was going back home," Nagar told PTI.
He suffered big bruises on his back but Nagar said those are not burn injuries.
"The injuries happened because he jumped out of car by breaking the window of his car as soon as it caught fire. As he landed on the side of the road on his rear, the skin peeled off. But those are not burn injuries and not very serious."
The 25-year-old dozed off and lost control of his Mercedes early morning on Friday en route to his home in Roorkee. He was alone in the car.
The accident happened at Mohammadpur Jat in Manglaur town of Haridwar district.
He suffered injuries on his head, back and feet but is in a stable condition.
"He had two lacerations (blunt trauma) on his head but I didn't put stitches. I have recommended him to Max Hospital where a plastic surgeon might see him," Nagar said.
The doctor, however, said Pant suffered a ligament tear on his right knee and the extent of that injury can only be ascertained after an MRI scan.
"However reports of X Rays conducted at our hospital suggest that there are no bone injuries. Yes, there is a ligament tear on his right knee. How serious it is can only be detected after further investigation and detailed MRI," he said.
Ligament injuries have various grades and it can take 2 to 6 months to regain full fitness, which puts a serious question mark over Pant's availability for the home Test series against Australia, starting February 9.
Pant was not part of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka beginning on January 3. He was supposed to join the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for a strength and conditioning programme ahead of February's Border Gavaskar Trophy.
The explosive left-handed wicket-keeper batter has scored 2,271 runs in 33 Tests so far with the help of five hundreds and 11 half-centuries. He has also represented the country in 30 ODIs and 66 T20Is, scoring 865 and 987 runs respectively.
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Mathura (UP), Apr 9 (PTI): In a novel step towards environmental conservation, the administration in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district has made planting trees a mandatory requirement for obtaining, renewing or transferring arms licences.
According to an official release issued by the District Information Department, applicants will now be required to plant 10 trees either on private land or on public land anywhere within the district. The application must be submitted along with geo-tagged proof of the plantation, the release said.
District Magistrate Chandraprakash Singh, who introduced the measure, said the new condition will be applicable in addition to all previously-existing conditions for acquiring arms licences.
"This move is aimed at encouraging citizens to contribute meaningfully towards environmental protection while fulfilling their personal needs," he said.
"The responsibility for maintaining and protecting these trees will also lie with the applicants themselves," Singh added, emphasising that public participation is key to ensuring the survival of the planted saplings.
District Information Officer Prashant Suchari shared the details of the initiative on Wednesday and called it an important step in raising awareness about environmental preservation.
"This initiative not only aligns with administrative responsibilities but also reinforces the collective duty of citizens toward sustaining the environment," he said.