Rishabh Pant got everyone’s attention online with a late-night plea to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Pant asked for help buying land in his home state, explaining he’s been trying unsuccessfully to relocate from Delhi to Uttarakhand.
Right now, Pant’s in Sri Lanka, getting ready for a two-match Test series starting August 15. Born in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, Pant made it clear he isn’t asking for a freebie—he wants to purchase government land at its fixed price. He said this problem has dragged on for three years, and he still hasn’t been able to buy the land.
Early Saturday, Pant publicly appealed to the Chief Minister. He wrote on X, ‘Hello Sir, how are you? It’s been a long time for me, especially as someone from Uttarakhand. I’ve been trying to buy land to move back from Delhi, but I haven’t found anything suitable here.’
He continued, ‘I love Uttarakhand very much. I’m asking you to help me with the land purchase—it’s become a real nightmare dealing with all the paperwork. There’s also another land issue from when I was promoting the state that hasn’t been resolved.’
Pant added, ‘I want to return home and help my people in Uttarakhand. Please look into this. It’s already been three years, and I haven’t gotten any land.’
He finished with, ‘If I can get it at government rates, at least I can finally build my first house here. I really don’t know how to go about it.’
Pant’s post quickly went viral, and Chief Minister Dhami soon responded. In his reply, Dhami called Pant the pride of Uttarakhand. He praised Pant’s achievements and said they have brought recognition to the state across the country and the world. Dhami said he’s asked the concerned officials to look into the matter, and promised they’ll get in touch with Pant and provide all possible help according to the rules.
Pant’s roots are in Roorkee, Haridwar district. He started playing cricket there but moved to Delhi to chase a professional career. Over the years, he’s become one of India’s top wicketkeeper-batsmen. Although he represents Delhi in domestic cricket, Pant never lost touch with his home state, and now he’s openly urging to contribute by making Uttarakhand his base.
His connection with the Uttarakhand government isn’t new—he became the state’s brand ambassador in August 2022. The government had said then that his success would inspire young people in Uttarakhand to excel in sports.
Now, almost four years later, Pant is again in the spotlight—this time for his desire to return home and build a house. It’s worth noting that just a few days ago, he became Uttarakhand’s highest individual taxpayer for 2025-26, paying Rs 23.84 crore in income tax. He topped the individual list and ranked fourth among all non-corporate taxpayers.