After a 15-month hiatus, Rishabh Pant receives a standing ovation in the IPL 2024.

In the second IPL 2024 match between DC and Punjab Kings on Saturday, March 23, India’s Rishabh Pant, a wicketkeeper-batter for the Delhi Capitals (DC), made his long-awaited return to the cricket field. After Delhi’s second wicket fell, the southpaw took guard at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh, walking out to bat for the first time in nearly 15 months.

A standing ovation greeted Pant as he approached the ground. The crowd had stood up to recognize the effort the cricket player had put in to get match-fit following his horrible automobile incident on December 30, 2022.

Watch the video here:

Look who is out in the middle to bat

Follow the match https://t.co/ZhjY0W03bC #TATAIPL | #PBKSvDC | @DelhiCapitals | @RishabhPant17 pic.twitter.com/YdRt1lh6be

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 23, 2024

Notably, when driving from Delhi to his hometown of Roorkee in his Mercedes to spend New Year’s Eve with his family in 2022, Pant avoided a near-fatal vehicle accident. But the cricketer fell asleep at the wheel, and his vehicle crashed into the divider and caught fire. The cricket player underwent numerous surgeries to treat his injuries after he and a few bystanders helped him escape the flaming car.

In his resurrected innings, Rishabh Pant scored 18 (13).

In order to prepare for his eagerly expected return, the cricket player from Haridwar underwent extensive rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru after his surgeries. Harshal Patel removed Pant for 18 (13) runs, indicating that Pant’s stint at the wicket was short-lived. After spending 12.4 overs at the crease, the southpaw hit two boundaries and left Delhi on 111/4.

Also read: IPL 2024: Robin Uthappa likens the work ethic of MS Dhoni

Abhishek Porel’s rapid fire cameo of 32(10) moved DC to 174/9 in their stipulated 20 overs after they had lost four more wickets and were reeling at 147/8 after 18.3 overs. The southpaw was brought in as an impact player and helped DC surpass the 170-run milestone with 25 runs off the final over.