- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
Former India cricket captain Kapil Dev has advised Rishabh Pant, the current India wicket-keeper-batter, and other cricketers not to drive alone.
The legendary former all-rounder’s words came days after the 25-year-old cricketer faced a life-threatening accident in Dehradun in the early hours of Friday (30) when his speeding luxury car rammed into a road divider on a highway and caught fire. Pant, who was driving the vehicle and was alone, was going from Delhi to his hometown Roorkee in the northern state of Uttarakhand and reportedly dozed off at the wheels.
Speaking to India’s ABP News, Dev said top cricketers can easily afford drivers and hence should always travel with one.
The captain of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning squad also mentioned his own example of meeting a motorcycle accident at a young age.
“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,” the 63-year-old Dev said.
“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,” the former cricketer added.
Pant received several injuries all over his body but was stable and out of danger. He was reportedly moved out of the Intensive Care Unit but could take a long time to return to the cricket ground.
