Rishabh Pant’s return from a horrific, almost life-threatening road accident a year-and-a-half back is one of the great comebacks in sporting history. Given a fresh lease of life—his own words—the ebullient wicketkeeper-batter defied medical experts by making a total recovery much quicker than expected, determined to make the most of his good fortune by immersing himself totally in the rehabilitation process.

There was a time in the weeks after the accident on 30 December 2022 when Pant couldn’t even brush his teeth. From there to wielding his willow like a toothpick has been a remarkable tale of resilience and resolve.