India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant felt his "time in this world" was over when he met with a horrific car accident in December, 2022.

Opening up for the first time on the life-threatening accident near his hometown Roorkee, Pant said he nearly felt he would die after his Mercedes burst into flames after hitting a divider on the wee hours of December 30, 2022.

The accident left Pant with a ligament tear in his right knee and two cuts on his forehead and the 26-year-old stumper has been out of action since then.

"First time in my life I felt like my time in this world is up. During the accident I was aware of the wounds, but I was lucky as it could have been even more serious," Pant told Star Sports.

"I was feeling that someone saved me. I asked the doctor how long will it take for me to recover, he said it would take 16-18 months. I knew I had to work hard to cut this recovery time," he added.

The accident forced Pant to undergo a surgery in Mumbai and he is expected to return to action in the IPL.

Pant is expected to lead Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL after he was part of the franchise delegation during the IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai last year.

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