“Jo upar jaata hai, wo neeche bhi aata hai,” Rishabh Pant quipped to veteran DDCA scorer Deepa as he made his way down from the viewing gallery from where he watched the IPL 2023 contest between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Before Pant had commenced the descend, Deepa, rushed to the staircase to meet the boy he has seen grow into a match-winner for India from close quarters, right from his age-group days for Delhi.
After spotting the veteran scorer, Pant extended warm greetings and received an affectionate pat on the cheek. Even when the security personnel asked Deepa to clear the way for Pant’s smooth passage, the left-hander insisted Deepa walks with him to the car which was waiting to ferry him to the DC dressing room.
“Aao aap mere saath chalo,” Pant politely requested Deepa.
The distance wasn’t much but Pant was in discomfort as he took the baby steps to the door. There were mini water breaks along the way but not once did the infectious smile leave his lips and he continued to greet everyone who wished for his speedy recovery and even obliged with selfies.
The injured knee was strapped with a compression sleeve and the bruise marks on the elbow still wore a fresh look but Pant’s spirits and energy remained high during the laborious walk.
A white SUV was waiting outside the door and Pant made his way to the middle row of the car for a little drive to the dressing room of his IPL side. It wasn’t a smooth entry or exit from the vehicle but he wasn’t complaining and seemed excited to meet his teammates, both India and IPL.
The 25-year-old had watched most of the match from the balcony of the Delhi Capitals lounge with co-owner Parth Jindal and was later joined by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and Vice-President Rajeev Shukla. Pant spent a lot of time with Shah watching the game and the two were constantly chatting in a very relaxed setting.
The weather in the capital and the gentle breeze made for a good outdoor viewing experience and Pant would have loved the roar of the fans in a stadium setting after a long time. Whenever the camera panned towards the aggressive southpaw, he gently waved to the crowd which was waiting for his visual since the horrific December 30 car crash last year.
Well before the season got underway, everyone in the Delhi Capitals camp was hoping to see Pant at one of the home games of the franchise. The Delhi and District Cricket Association swung into action mode ahead of the first DC game in New Delhi and ensured seamless entry and exit for their superstar.
The senior officials of the association were there to receive Pant when he arrived at the venue and ensured he was comfortably seated with DC co-owner Parth Jindal. Even Pant’s movement from the DC lounge to the dressing room was a seamless one and not once did the ring of security personnel allow any crowd around India’s star player.
For a cricketer in his prime, it’s tough to stay away from the game and tougher to be mentally prepared for a long absence. From dominating bowlers on the most hostile surfaces to struggling to walk, the world has changed upside down for Pant in the last four months but he remains the joyous broad-built boy who just loves to take the bowlers on.
The time spent on the field and in the dressing room on Tuesday would have done his morale a world of good as the road to recovery can feel quite a lonely one for someone who has seen stardom even before exiting the teens. Pant’s exchange with Deepa near the staircase was a light-hearted one but the 25-year-old did hit a serious chord when he said, “jo upar jaata hai, wo neeche bhi aata hai”.
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