India cricketer Rishabh Pant is in stable condition in hospital following a car crash in the early hours of Friday morning.
Police said the wicketkeeper-batsman, who was alone in the car when it crashed in the northern state of Uttarakhand, had lost control of the vehicle when he “dozed off”. The car flipped over twice, police added.
The 25-year-old was returning from his hometown Roorkee, a few hours north of the capital, before dawn when his Mercedes SUV crashed into the median.
Police said the car immediately caught fire and the national team wicketkeeper had to break the windscreen to escape the blaze. Photographs of the crash showed the extensive impact and fire damage to the car.
Hospital authorities were not immediately available to give an update on Pant’s condition.
Cricket website ESPNCricinfo reported that the batsman suffered lacerative wounds on his forehead above his left eye and also a ligament tear in his knee. The report added that the first X-rays did not show any fractures.
“Rishabh is stable and undergoing scans,” Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah tweeted.
“We are closely monitoring his progress and will provide him with all the necessary support.”
Pant’s condition was stable, hospital doctor Ashish Yagnik told AFP reporters.
The player’s Indian Premier League team Delhi Capitals said the crash occurred between Manglaur and Narsan in Haridwar district.
“He has now been shifted to a hospital in Dehradun after receiving primary treatment in a hospital in Roorkee,” they said on Twitter.
Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar told Reuters: “Pant had told the local police that he lost control on his car after he dozed off for a couple of seconds. The police is investigating the case.”
Multiple reports in Indian media said Pant’s car had collided with the traffic divider in the middle of the road.
Pant was part of the India test squad that sealed a 2-0 series victory over Bangladesh this month. He was not named in their T20 and ODI squads for matches against Sri Lanka next month.
National Cricket Academy chairman and former test batsman VVS Laxman wished Pant a speedy recovery.
“Praying for Rishabh Pant. Thankfully he is out of danger,” Laxman tweeted.
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting also expressed his concern. “Hope you’re on the mend and back on your feet soon,” tweeted the former Australia captain.