Rishabh Pant's doctor reacts to his somersault celebration during ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, the orthopaedic surgeon who treated Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant after his horrific accident in December 2022, has said that the 27-year-old's somersault celebration was unnecessary. Pardiwala said that Pant was a trained gymnast and the somersault celebration was a move that he had practised and perfected over a period of time.

After getting to his hundred in the first innings of the Leeds Test against England, Pant celebrated by performing a somersault, much to the delight of the spectators watching from the stands.

“Rishabh trained as a gymnast – and so although he looks large, he is quite agile, and he does have a lot of flexibility. And that’s why he’s been doing those somersaults of late. It’s a well-practised and perfected move – unnecessary though!," Pardiwala told The Telegraph.

Pardiwala admitted that Pant had become a more mature human being post the accident. He also said that the gloveman was a lot more philosophical and understood that he was very lucky to be alive after the accident. Pardiwala added:

“He recognises the fact that he was extremely lucky to be alive. He’s so motivated as a cricketer. If you knew the Rishabh before this happened, he’s a much more mature human being. He’s very philosophical now. He appreciates life and everything that goes around it. That typically happens to anyone who’s faced death in the face. Someone who’s had a near-death experience often gets life into perspective."

Dinshaw Pardiwala says Rishabh Pant was extremely lucky to be alive after the accident

Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala said that Rishabh Pant was extremely fortunate to be alive after the frightful accident that happened on the Delhi-Dehradun highway on December 30, 2022.

Pardiwala said that the risk of death was very high when an accident, in which a vehicle overturns and blows up, takes place.

“Rishabh Pant was extremely lucky to be alive – extremely lucky. To be in an accident like this, where the car actually overturns and blows up, the risk of death is extremely high," Pardiwala said.

Pant played his first match for India after the accident during the T20 World Cup in 2024, when India faced Ireland in a group-stage match.