1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev has taken a jibe at India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant after he had a miraculous escape during the weekend following a horror car crash near Roorkee in Uttarakhand.

Kapil Dev who is known for his harsh assessments, was critical of the cricketer's decision to drive the vehicle himself during the wee hours of Friday when he met with an accident on the Delhi Dehradun highway.

According to Kapil Dev, Rishabh Pant could easily afford a chauffeur to drive his vehicle and he should immediately hire someone to avoid such incidents in the future.

Kapil Dev also urged Rishabh Pant to curb his tendencies for thrill which he claimed was pretty normal for a man of his age. For the unversed, Rishabh Pant is 25.

“This is a learning. When I was still an up-and-coming cricketer, I faced a motorcycle accident. From that day onwards, my brother didn't even let me touch the motorbike. I'm just thankful to god that Rishabh Pant is safe,” Kapil Dev said in an interaction with ABP News.

“Yes, you have a good-looking car with great speeds but you have to be careful. You can easily afford a driver, you don't have to drive it alone. I understand that one has hobbies or even passion for such things, it's natural to have it at his age, but you also have responsibilities. Only you can take care of yourself. You have to decide things for yourself,” Kapil Dev added.

Kapil Dev's emotional reaction to Rishabh Pant's accident came after the young cricket star had a narrow escape after his car rammed into a divider before catching fire on the Delhi Dehradun highway near Roorkee. Pant was alone in the vehicle and managed to escape by breaking the windscreen of the car after it got engulfed in fire.

The India wicketkeeper was reportedly traveling to Dehradun to pay a surprise visit to his mother on the occasion of the New Year.

Though he managed to evade death, the left-hander did suffer multiple injuries, including cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee, and burns on his back.

The India left-hander underwent forehead plastic surgery at the Max hospital in Dehradun on Saturday. The cricket star is currently stable and out of danger.

“Rishabh Pant underwent a minor plastic surgery near his forehead. A 3-member DDCA team is reaching Dehradun in an hour. BCCI is constantly in touch with the doctors at Max Hospital and with Pant's family. He is currently stable and out of danger. We are yet to decide whether he needs to be shifted to Delhi or not,” Shyam Sharma informed the media on Saturday.

“He is stable & recovering well. Our BCCI doctors are in touch with the doctors here. Jay Shah is monitoring it. As of now, he'll remain admitted here. He told me that he tried to save (his car) from a pothole (when the accident occurred),” Shyam Sharma added.

In another development, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami revealed the real reason behind the southpaw's accident that took place at 5.30 am on Friday.

“He (Pant) said the car swerved across the road while trying to avoid a pothole or something black,” Dhami told reporters after interacting with him at the hospital on Sunday.

The chief minister further added that the state government will provide all possible assistance in Rishabh Pant's treatment.

Meanwhile, he was moved to a private suite from the ICU of the Max hospital in Dehradun due to fears of getting infected with COVID.

“Due to fear of infection, we have told his family and hospital administration to shift him to a private suite. He is doing better and will recover soon,” Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Director Shyam Sharma told reporters on Monday.

This came after the DDCA director raised concerns over VVIPs and celebs thronging the Dehradun hospital to meet the cricketer who is being treated there.

“Those who are going to meet Pant should avoid, as there are chances of infection. There should be no VIP movement to meet Pant, and people visiting him should avoid it as there are chances of infection for Pant,” Sharma said.

The wicketkeeper batter is set to stay out of action for the first six months of 2023 following the incident. Multiple media reports suggest that the left-handed explosive batter will certainly miss the crucial four-match Test series against Australia in February-March. Additionally, he is said to be out of contention for the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Just a week earlier, he powered India to a 2-0 whitewash of Bangladesh in the Test series in the neighboring country. In the process, Rishabh Pant joined a select band of Indian wicketkeepers, including former captain MS Dhoni to complete 4,000 runs in international cricket.