'He is a box office cricketer,': Nasser Hussain optimistic about Rishabh Pant's 2024 comeback

It’s been more than a year since ‌Indian cricket star Rishabh Pant has been out of action from competitive cricket after suffering a horrific car accident in December 2022. The wicketkeeper-batter has been very active in returning to his best level lately. He was also present at the IPL auction for Delhi Capitals in Dubai on December 19. It is expected that Pant will return to competitive cricket while leading DC in the IPL 2024. 

3 things you need to know 

• Rishabh Pant suffered an accident in December 2022
• Pant has been out of competitive cricket since then 
• Pant eyes to return in action in 2024 

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Nasser Hussain made a huge statement regarding Rishabh Pant

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has emphasised Rishabh Pant's deep importance in the Indian cricket squad, particularly in light of the wicketkeeper-batter's life-threatening automobile accident in December 2022. Hussain emphasised the worldwide worry over Pant's health and voiced confidence about the outstanding player's healthy return from injury in 2024.

In Pant's absence, India has used a variety of wicketkeepers, but KL Rahul has emerged as the favoured option in ODIs and, more lately, Tests. Hussain appreciated India's fortunate situation, but emphasised that Pant's flair and regular performances made him a box-office sensation in the cricketing arena. Pant's return to competitive play is highly anticipated by the cricketing community, who recognises the tremendous gap his absence has caused in the Indian side. According to ICC's Believe in Magic series, Nasser Hussain said: 

"India have done well without him (Pant) as KL has come in and been brilliant in all formats," Hussain said, as quoted by ICC's Believe in Magic series.

"They'll continue to be brilliant. They're lucky to have both of them, but Rishabh Pant, before his injury, was box office, and hopefully, after his injury, will be box office as well."

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Rishabh Pant was engaged in a serious accident while travelling on the Delhi-Dehradun route near Roorkee. The car slammed into the highway fences and caught fire in a horrific chain of events. Pant nearly escaped a potentially lethal scenario by smashing through the windscreen. He did, however, receive several injuries as a result of the event. Nasser Hussain added: 

"That was such a serious accident. The whole world held its breath and it has been a slow recovery. You follow on social media, on my phone and the initial first walking steps to then scenes in the gym and then scenes of him playing a bit of cricket, scenes of him with Ricky (Ponting)," 

"I travelled with Ricky in the summer in the Ashes, and Ricky was texting him ‘how's the progress coming along’, and he is a box office cricketer,"