New Delhi, Jan 2: The legendary Kapil Dev believes any cricketer representing the country like Rishabh Pant should be "more careful" and hire drivers instead of getting behind the wheels to avoid the mishap that happened last week.

Kapil made the statement while reacting to Pant's horrifying accident on Friday while driving his Mercedes on NH-58. The wicket-keeper batter is currently admitted in Max Dehradun with multiple injuries on head, back, knee and ankle. He was on Monday shifted from ICU to a private ward.

"We can avoid things that can lead to mishaps like these," Kapil was quoted as saying by ABP News.

"Especially for these special players. I remember during my early playing days, I was riding a bike and met with an accident following which my brother never let me ride one.

"The players should be careful. They don't need to drive themselves. They can afford drivers. I know a lot of people are passionate about driving but when one has so many responsibilities, one must take care of oneself," the 63-year-old stated.

Pant's injuries, especially the ones on knee and ankle, will keep him out of action for a minimum period of six months.

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Balasore: At least 72 people, including 23 women, from Rajnagar village in the district have been arrested under charge of assaulting two poll officials from West Bengal, who are suspected to have mistakenly entered their village on Wednesday.

Odisha Police are learned to have said that poll officers Sumit Hazra and Som Hansda, who are bank employees, had been assigned the duty of supervisiing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise at Baliagaria Block under the Nayagram Police Station limits in West Bengal. On Wednesday, however, the duo mistakenly entered the nearby Rajnagar, located under the Raibania Police Station limits in Balasore district, they added.

According to news agencies, Balasore Additional Superintendent of Police Niranjan Behera has said that the returning officers were detained and assaulted by the villagers on account of communication gap. Explaining the incident further, the officer said that Hazra and Hansda approached an auto rickshaw that was on school duty as they were unable to get any other transportation facility to reach Nayagram. “As the rickshaw driver declined to help, they were waiting for an alternate means of transportation, when a rumour was spread that child lifters were working in the area. This gave rise to suspicion among the villagers and led to the assault of Hazra and Hansda,” Behera is learned to have said.

Further, the Addl SP has said that the villagers are learned to have assaulted and detained two police personnel from Raibania Police Station who rushed to Rajnagar to rescue the returning officers. “Additional forces were sent to the village, even as senior police and administrative officers visited Rajnagar to bring the situation under control,” he reportedly added.

Behera also said, “The injured poll officials, after being rescued, were admitted to the local hospital for treatment. Two cases are registered in this regard, one by the poll officials and another by police. More than 100 people have been questioned.”

The investigation team, after verifying the video footage, has held 72 accused, who will be produced before court. Additional security forces have been mobilized in the Raibania Police Station limits to prevent any untoward situation, officials have said.