India cricketer Rishabh Pant has sparked a lively social media discussion after making an unusual midnight request to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Pant, who hails from Uttarakhand, publicly appealed to Dhami for help in acquiring land in the state. The wicketkeeper-batter said he wants to shift his base from Delhi to his native Uttarakhand and build a home there.
Rishabh Pant asks Uttarakhand CM for help
Pant posted his appeal on X at around 12:46 am on Saturday. He said he had been trying to find a suitable property in Uttarakhand for nearly three years but had faced difficulties with the process.
The India star said he wanted to return to his roots and contribute to the development of his home state.
Pant wrote that he wanted to “move back to my native place” and work towards helping and building around Uttarakhand.
His post quickly attracted attention, partly because of its informal language and several spelling and grammatical errors.
Pant makes a ‘gift’ appeal
Pant followed up with another post that added an unexpected twist to his request.
He asked whether the government could consider giving him land as a “gift” in recognition of his representation of Uttarakhand on international platforms. At the same time, he clarified that he was willing to purchase the property from the government at the applicable rates.
Pant said he wanted to build his first house in his home state and expressed his desire to return to the “Pahadi” community.
The posts quickly went viral, with fans reacting to both the request and the unusual timing of his messages.
Pant set to return for India’s Test series
The social media exchange comes as Pant prepares to return to international cricket.
The wicketkeeper-batter has been named in India’s squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka. He had missed India’s recent white-ball assignments against England and Zimbabwe.
Pant remains one of India’s most recognisable cricketers and has frequently spoken about his connection with Uttarakhand.
Rishabh Pant returns to Delhi Capitals
Pant was also involved in a major IPL development earlier this year.
In June, Delhi Capitals brought him back from Lucknow Super Giants in a pre-auction trade ahead of IPL 2027. Delhi Capitals acquired Pant for ₹15 crore, while Lucknow received spinner Kuldeep Yadav in a deal valued at ₹13.5 crore.
With Pant now looking to establish a home in Uttarakhand, his midnight appeal to the state government has added another talking point around the star cricketer.
For now, fans are waiting to see whether the Uttarakhand government responds to Pant’s unusual request.
