Mumbai, Jan 07, 2023, IANS

Mumbai, Jan 7 (IANS) India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who miraculously survived a horrific car accident on December 30, was operated for a ligament tear on his right knee.

A report by mid-day newspaper states that Pant was operated by Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, the head of the Centre for Sports Medicine, and Director of Arthroscopy & Shoulder Service at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital in Andheri West, here on Friday.

"On Friday morning at around 10.30 am Dr Pardiwala and his team conducted ligament tear surgery on his right knee, the surgery was performed for around 2 to 3 hours. The surgery went smoothly," said the report.

The report added that the hospital didn't confirm the development, saying they would not comment on the matter due to the privacy of the patient and that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would release the statement.

It also said after Pant was airlifted to Mumbai from Dehradun on Wednesday, doctors have been evaluating his health condition and did some basic health checks on him before the surgery happened on Friday, while adding that it will take some months for the left-handed batter to recover completely.

On December 30, around 5:30am, Pant, 25, suffered multiple injuries when his car collided with a road divider and caught fire on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. The horrific car accident happened between Manglaur and Narsan in the Haridwar district in the state of Uttarakhand.

Pant was initially taken to Saksham Hospital Multispecialty and Trauma Centre, before being admitted to Max Hospital, Dehradun. He was on his way to his hometown Roorkee from New Delhi and was driving his Mercedes car.

The first medical update from the BCCI said Pant suffered two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee and has also hurt his right wrist, ankle, and toe apart from abrasion injuries on his back after the car accident.

Later that evening, a medical bulletin said the results of Pant's MRI of the brain and spine came out as normal. It added that Pant also underwent plastic surgery to manage his facial injuries, lacerated wounds and abrasions.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the BCCI said in its second official medical update that Pant will be shifted from Dehradun to Mumbai via an air ambulance. At Mumbai, he is under direct supervision of Dr Pardiwala and will continue to be monitored by the BCCI Medical Team throughout his recovery and rehabilitation.