Pant’s appeal for land in Uttarakhand
Rishabh Pant, the India wicketkeeper-batter, has publicly sought assistance from the Uttarakhand government to acquire land in his native state. His goal is to build a home and relocate his base from Delhi to Uttarakhand. Pant made his appeal directly to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami through posts on social media platform X.
In his appeal, Pant mentioned that he had been attempting to acquire suitable land in Uttarakhand for approximately three years. He expressed a desire to return to his native state and contribute to its development. Pant also clarified that he was willing to purchase the land from the government at official rates, rather than receiving it as a gift.
Chief Minister Dhami responded positively to Pant’s request, assuring him of full support. Dhami stated that the matter has been referred to the relevant officials, who will discuss everything with Pant and provide the necessary assistance. The Chief Minister highlighted Pant’s achievements in cricket and his representation of India, noting that he has brought pride to Uttarakhand.
Chief Minister’s assurance and Pant’s contributions
CM Dhami reiterated his commitment to helping Pant, stating, “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. Your love for your motherland and your sentiment of returning here to contribute are highly commendable.” He confirmed that instructions were being issued to concerned officials to ensure all possible cooperation in accordance with the rules.
Pant’s desire to establish a home in Uttarakhand aligns with his strong connection to the state, where he was born in Roorkee, Haridwar district. He began his cricketing journey there before moving to Delhi to pursue the sport professionally. Despite representing Delhi in domestic cricket, Pant has consistently maintained ties with Uttarakhand.
The cricketer recently became the highest individual taxpayer from Uttarakhand for the 2025-26 financial year. He reportedly paid Rs 23.84 crore in taxes for that period. This marks the second consecutive year Pant has topped the list of individual taxpayers in the state. His tax contribution more than doubled from the previous financial year, when he had reportedly paid around Rs 10.5 crore in advance tax.
Pant’s cricketing career and financial standing
Pant’s significant tax payments reflect his substantial earnings from various sources, including his BCCI contract, IPL salary, match fees, and endorsement deals. He was acquired by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore, making him one of the most expensive players in the league at that time. During the assessed period, Pant also held a Grade A BCCI contract, which included an annual retainership of Rs 5 crore. He has since been moved to Grade B, with his annual retainership reduced to Rs 3 crore.
His commercial earnings are further boosted by endorsement associations with several brands, including Adidas, Dream11, SG, Thums Up, Cadbury, boAt, Noise, Zomato, JSW Cement, and MakeMyTrip. These endorsements add significantly to his overall income.
Currently, the 28-year-old Pant is part of the India A squad. The team is playing a three-day unofficial Test against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo. This match is a precursor to India’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15.
In his Test career, Pant has scored 3,557 runs in 50 Tests at an average of 43.37, including eight centuries and 19 fifties. He has also accumulated 871 runs in 31 ODIs and 1,209 runs in 76 T20Is. In the IPL, Pant recently returned to Delhi Capitals after being traded by Lucknow Super Giants. He had joined LSG for Rs 27 crore but will now represent Delhi Capitals at a revised fee of Rs 15 crore, while spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved in the opposite direction to Lucknow at his existing fee of Rs 13.50 crore.
The Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Uttarakhand, announced Pant’s tax figures during an event marking Income Tax Day on July 24.
Source: m.rediff.com
