Rishabh Pant pauses for a couple of seconds as his left knee braces to carry his body weight up a set of stairs on the set of the shoot. It's a movement no one would usually notice except that the person we're describing is star cricketer Pant, who's been to hell and back since 30 December 2022 when he suffered a horrific accident near Roorkee on the Delhi-Dehradun expressway. The 26-year-old has undergone knee ligament surgery as well as plastic surgery after being left with facial injuries following the collision, which in his own words left him wondering if he would ever walk, forget playing cricket.
I'M DRAWN TOWARDS the moment. I look for traces of discomfort on his face even though I know that Pant has kept wickets for 253 overs during IPL 2024. Those couple of seconds in which he steadies himself before putting his weight on his left knee, simultaneously acknowledging the helping hand that one of the crew members extends, but does not accept, while crinkling his eyes in an endearing and naturally deflective manner, is what Pant 2.0 is all about.
He has been given a second lease on life, and cricket, and after enduring the toughest phase of his 26 years trying to get back onto the cricket, Pant is trying to enjoy every single aspect of a second chance.
I ask him what it is about cricket that he missed the most during those initial months of torture, lying in hospital beds on sleepless nights and screaming in pain at the ceiling. The din of a packed stadium chanting his name? The joy of feeling bat on ball? The sound of a cricket ball thudding into the wicketkeeper's glove near the ears? A split-second stumping off a wrist-spinner's googly? The joy of celebrating a century, arms aloft and looking skywards in memory of his father?
Before I can finish, Pant, smiling somewhat sheepishly, brushes me off. "Sixes. Hitting sixes. More sixes than before."
Denne historien er fra June - July 2024-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June - July 2024-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family
The Wedding Singers
Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.
The Fluidity of Cartier
Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.
A Princess with Passion
From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.
DEMNA UNMASKED
He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.
