Rajat and Nishu, the men who admitted India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant to the Saksham Hospital before being shifted to Max Dehradun, revealed how they rescued the southpaw after his car collided with a divider before catching fire during the weekend.

“We saw him first and his condition was serious. We provided him help. A driver named Sushil and a bus conductor dialled 108 to call for help. We did not know who he was, but for the sake of humanity, we covered his body with clothes so as to save his life. We sent him to Saksham Hospital in an ambulance,” Rajat told the news agency ANI.

Rajat further stated as the cricketer was in acute discomfort, the ambulance staff gave him a painkilling injection before tying a cloth around his forehead to prevent excessive bleeding.

Rajat also told the media that they gave the cricketer's belongings, including INR 4,000, to the police. The India star had lost all his valuables in the accident.

“All the other remaining items were burnt,” Rajat added.

Earlier this week, Rishabh Pant was shifted to a private suite from the ICU over concerns about catching the COVID-19 infection.

“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.

Though the cricketer is no longer in the ICU and is out of danger, the magnitude of his injuries, especially on the knee, ankle, and toe, is not yet known as he's not in a position to undertake MRI scans. Earlier, he underwent plastic surgery on his forehead.

The left-hander's accident took place on December 30 when he was on his way to visit his mother in Uttarakhand's Roorkee. According to eyewitness accounts, Rishabh Pant crashed his vehicle into a road divider. He miraculously avoided life-threatening injuries despite his Mercedes Benz going up in flames.

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.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant's near-fatal crash drew a sharp reaction from the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev.

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.

On the other hand, former India spinner Maninder Singh picked his replacement for next month's Test series against Australia.

Maninder Singh reckons the selectors should give Ishan Kishan his debut Test cap in the absence of Rishabh Pant as he was an aggressive batter like the Uttarakhand-born player.

“If Rishabh Pant isn't available for selection due to the unfortunate accident he met with, then I believe the team management should pick up Ishan Kishan (who is also a left-handed batter) for that role across all formats. He's an ideal candidate for Team India if Pant is not around,” Maninder Singh told My Khel.

“It is the job of the team management and the selectors to reward players of such potential and I strongly believe Ishan Kishan has that knack of a big-match player. I believe if there is one player who's nearby Rishabh Pant's potential across formats, it is Ishan Kishan,” Maninder Singh signed off.