Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant showcased an impressive performance with the bat against England in the Leeds Test match. Pant struck centuries in both innings (134 & 118), making him only the second wicketkeeper in the world to achieve this feat in a single Test, alongside Zimbabwe’s former wicketkeeper Andy Flower.
Doctor's Warning to Rishabh Pant...
In the Leeds Test, Rishabh Pant celebrated his first-innings century with a somersault. However, he refrained from repeating this celebration after his second innings century. Pant had performed a similar somersault after scoring a century against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Now, Rishabh Pant's treating surgeon, Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, has issued a warning to the wicketkeeper-batsman. Pardiwala advises that such celebrations are not essential and highlights the fact that these moves exert significant pressure on the knees and back. Repeated execution can risk re-injury to previously weakened joints. An awkward angle or bad landing could complicate matters further.
Rishabh was sidelined from cricket for a while following a car accident. In December 2022, when Pant was injured in a car crash, it was Pardiwala who performed surgery on his knee ligaments. Pardiwala is an orthopedic surgeon at the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai.
Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala mentioned to The Telegraph, 'Rishabh's childhood training in gymnastics has made him agile and flexible. While the somersault is a well-executed move, it isn't a necessity.' He added that Rishabh Pant is extremely fortunate to have survived the car accident, as such incidents often carry a high fatality risk.
Pardiwala states, 'Rishabh Pant is incredibly lucky to be alive. In such accidents, where a car flips and catches fire, the risk of death is significantly high.'
On the other hand, Rishabh Pant shared with Sony Sports that he had thought of three ways to celebrate his achievements. Pant mentioned, 'One was to let the bat do the talking. Then I thought, why not showcase my style? I've been doing somersaults since childhood. I learned gymnastics in school.'
