'Miracle kid' Rishabh Pant's return leaves Wasim Akram in awe: He is superhuman

Wasim Akram heaped praise on Rishabh Pant and hailed him as a 'miracle kid' for his stunning return to the field after his car accident in 2022. Pant made his Test return during the match against Bangladesh in Chennai.

In Short

• Pant marked his return to Test cricket with 109 vs Bangladesh
• Akram said fans in Pakistan were worried about Pant after his accident
• Akram hailed Pant's mental strength to make a good impact upon his return

Wasim Akram hailed Rishabh Pant as a 'miracle child' and claimed that his performances have been superhuman since returning to the cricket field after his car accident in 2022. Pant had a long road to recovery as he missed close to one and a half years of action because of the accident and made his return in the IPL 2024 season. The 26-year-old would impress in the league, which earned him a call-up to the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup.

Pant would then make his return to the Test arena with the match against Bangladesh in Chennai and scored a fine 109 as well. Speaking at a media interaction, as quoted by Hindustan Times, Akram said that people in Pakistan were worried about the wicketkeeper's health after his accident in 2022. The legendary pacer was in awe of how Pant bounced back from the setback and was able to perform well in the IPL 2024.

"Look at Pant’s performance, the miracle that he has performed by showing he is superhuman by returning from his tragedy. The way his accident happened, we were all worried in Pakistan, I was worried and tweeted about him. He came back and averaged 40 in the IPL, 446 runs at a strike rate of 155, he’s a miracle kid," said Akram.

Pant is special

Akram hailed Pant's mental strength to make a good impact upon his return. The legendary pacer also pointed out the way Pant plays Tests and the way he has been able to dominate bowlers like James Anderson and Pat Cummins.

"Especially what he has been through in that horrific accident, coming back from that, how mentally strong must that boy be. The way he used to play in Test cricket, the way he performed in Australia with the century then. The way he batted against England, playing a reverse-sweep against Anderson in Test cricket, even Cummins. He’s special," said Akram.

Pant is expected to be back in action when India play Bangladesh in the second Test, starting from September 27.