HYDERABAD — Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has turned to public social media channels to request administrative assistance from Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in acquiring land to build his home in the hill state.
Currently stationed in Sri Lanka for India's upcoming two-match Test series, the 28-year-old cricketer took to X (formerly Twitter) during the early hours of Saturday morning. Expressing his deep connection to his home state, Pant revealed that he has been attempting to buy a suitable property in Uttarakhand for the past three years to shift his primary residence from Delhi.
'Want to Shift Back to My Pahadi People'
In his post, Pant outlined his desire to reconnect with his roots and asked the chief minister for governmental support in securing a parcel of land at government-approved rates.
"I have been trying to buy land to shift my base from Delhi to Uttarakhand, and I couldn’t find anything suitable and big to live here. I love Uttarakhand," Pant wrote on X. "My humble request to you is please help me in land acquisition... I wanna move back to my native place to help and build around Uttarakhand, and I want to shift back to my Pahadi people. Please look into this matter, it's been 3 years."
The explosive batter added that while receiving land as a gift for representing the state on the global stage would be appreciated, he prefers to purchase the land directly from the state government at prescribed official rates to build his first house in his home region.
Chief Minister Promises Full Support
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami responded to the cricketer's post later in the morning, commending Pant's attachment to his birthplace and assuring prompt administrative action.
Describing the international cricketer as the "pride of Uttarakhand," Dhami noted that instructions had already been issued to local administrative officials to get in touch with Pant's representatives and facilitate the land purchase within the purview of existing state land laws.
"Dear Rishabh, you are the pride of Uttarakhand. With your splendid performance and achievements, you have illuminated the name of Devbhoomi in the country and the world," Chief Minister Dhami replied. "Your love for your motherland and your sentiment of returning here to contribute are highly commendable. Instructions are being issued to the concerned officials... They will soon contact you and ensure all possible cooperation in accordance with the rules."
Deep Roots in Uttarakhand
Born in Roorkee in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district, Pant spent his early childhood in the state before relocating to Delhi as a teenager to pursue professional cricket training under specialized coaching. Although he represents Delhi in domestic cricket tournaments, Pant has maintained strong personal and philanthropic ties to Uttarakhand.
The star cricketer also holds a major financial footprint in the state; official records show he was among Uttarakhand's highest individual taxpayers for the 2025–26 financial year, contributing ₹23.84 crore in income tax.
