Uttarakhand CM Offers Support to Rishabh Pant for Land Acquisition
Support for Rishabh Pant's Homecoming
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 8: Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, has pledged to assist Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant after the cricketer reached out for help in securing land to relocate from Delhi to his home state of Uttarakhand.
In response to Pant's message on social media platform X, Dhami praised the athlete as a source of pride for Uttarakhand and confirmed that the issue has been forwarded to the relevant authorities.
“Dear Rishabh, you are a true ambassador for Uttarakhand. Your remarkable achievements have brought honor to Devbhoomi both nationally and internationally. Your desire to return and contribute to your homeland is admirable. We are issuing instructions to the appropriate officials, who will be in touch with you soon to provide all necessary assistance in line with regulations,” Dhami stated.
Pant had previously expressed his concerns on X, mentioning that he has been attempting to acquire land in Uttarakhand for nearly three years, hoping to return and aid in the state's development.
“@pushkardhami hello sir, how are you? It’s been a long time for me, especially as a local from Uttarakhand. I’ve been trying to buy land to move my base from Delhi to Uttarakhand, but I haven’t found anything suitable. I love my Uttarakhand. My humble request is for your assistance in land acquisition, as it has become a nightmare. I want to return to my roots and help build around Uttarakhand. It’s been three years, and I’m still waiting for your response,” Pant wrote.
He later added that he is open to purchasing the land at government rates. “A gift would be wonderful for representing our state on international platforms, but I would like to buy it from the government at official rates. This way, I can build my first home in my own state. Please be supportive; I’m unsure how to proceed,” Pant mentioned.
The 28-year-old cricketer, who originates from Uttarakhand, currently plays for Delhi in domestic cricket and is an integral part of India's Test team. He is currently in Colombo as part of the India A squad, preparing for a three-day unofficial Test against Sri Lanka Cricket XI ahead of the two-Test series starting in Galle on August 15.
Pant has amassed 3,557 runs in 50 Test matches, averaging 43.37, with eight centuries and 19 fifties. In One Day Internationals, he has scored 871 runs across 31 matches and 1,209 runs in 76 T20Is.
In the IPL, Pant has recently returned to the Delhi Capitals after being traded from Lucknow Super Giants. He had initially joined LSG for a record fee of Rs 27 crore but will now play for Delhi Capitals at a revised fee of Rs 15 crore, while spinner Kuldeep Yadav has moved to Lucknow at his existing fee of Rs 13.50 crore.
Pant has also recently been recognized as the highest individual taxpayer from Uttarakhand, reportedly paying Rs 23.84 crore in taxes for the financial year 2025-26.