"I used to be frustrated even if someone tried speaking with me" - Rishabh Pant opens up on time at the NCA during recovery from injury

Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant expressed feeling frustrated during his recovery from injury and how the National Cricket Academy (NCA) helped him overcome that.

The 26-year-old suffered a horrific car accident in December 2022, leading to multiple injuries, including a ligament tear on his right knee. Pant endured a long road to recovery with an extended rehabilitation period at the NCA.

Finally, he was deemed fit by the academy and will return to competitive cricket in the upcoming 2024 IPL.

Speaking to TOI, Pant expressed his gratitude to his time at the NCA for helping him overcome growing frustrations.

"Mostly, I had conversations with VVS Laxman (NCA head) about life in general. There was so much frustration. I used to be frustrated even if someone tried speaking with me. Sometimes, you take it out on people without any fault of theirs. NCA helped me deal with that as time passed by."

He added:

"There were certain gestures that were very important. For example, I wanted to stay at a house instead of a hotel room in Bengaluru. They accommodated that. These small gestures made a lot of difference."

Pant also thanked the BCCI for declaring him fit and for their assistance during the recovery process.

"I was anxious waiting to be declared fit. I was trying to get fit before the Test series against England. BCCI and NCA were very helpful. BCCI secretary Jay Shah took personal interest. They didn’t want to rush me to the longest format. They slowly built up the workload. That was the best part of the recovery. You have to appreciate it if someone takes care of you like that. They suggested that I start with T20s and then increase the workload," added Pant.

Pant will be back to lead the Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2024 after missing the tournament last year. The southpaw will likely play as a batter and wicket-keeper throughout the season.

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"I was so frustrated that I thought I can’t deny myself a good meal" - Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant also spoke about eating different varieties of food to keep himself energized and sane in the first part of his recovery.

The Roorkee native had a long 14 months away from the game during his road to recovery. Yet, Pant highlighted how he worked hard and shifted his focus to getting back to optimum fitness with a nutritionist.

"I decided to have a blast because when you are on the road while playing, you have to be eating in a certain way to be in a certain physical shape. I had planned it in my mind how I had to go forward and I had absolute clarity about it. For the first few months, I was enjoying myself when it came to food because that was the only thing that kept me sane. I was so frustrated that I thought I can’t deny myself a good meal. There was nothing much I could have done," said Pant, via the aforementioned source.

He added:

"But later on, I started working very hard on my fitness and nutrition. We now have a dedicated team looking after my nutrition. I gave myself about three months of intense workout. I know I am strongly built to endure that. I just had to get rid of a little bit of extra weight and nutrition played a key role in that."

Pant last played for India in the away Test series against Bangladesh, days before his unfortunate accident. His highly-anticipated return to action will be when DC opens its IPL 2024 campaign against the Punjab Kings on March 23.