Rishabh Pant Wants to Build His First Home in Uttarakhand, But Is Stuck in the System to Buy Land

Rishabh Pant has made a public appeal to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for help in acquiring land in the State, saying he wants to shift his base from Delhi and build his first house in his native Uttarakhand. The request has brought attention to a journey that began in Roorkee, took him to Delhi as a young cricketer and eventually led him to the Indian cricket team.

Rishabh Pant’s connection with Uttarakhand has never really gone away.

The Indian wicketkeeper-batter may have spent most of his cricketing life in Delhi, but his roots remain firmly connected to Roorkee. On Saturday, August 8, 2026, Pant made that connection public once again when he appealed to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for help in buying land in the State.

Pant said he had been trying for nearly three years to find suitable land where he could shift his base from Delhi and build a large home. He also made it clear that he was not asking for free land. Instead, Pant said he would prefer to buy the land directly from the government at government rates.

His request came through two posts on X addressed directly to Chief Minister Dhami. Pant said he wanted to return to his native place, build his first house there and contribute to Uttarakhand.

Chief Minister Dhami responded in Hindi and called Pant the pride of Uttarakhand. He said Pant’s love for his home State and his wish to return and contribute were commendable. Dhami also said that instructions had been given to the concerned officials to contact Pant and provide all possible help according to the rules.

The exchange is interesting because Pant’s cricket journey itself has been a journey between Uttarakhand and Delhi.

He was born in Roorkee. But at just 12 years of age, he started travelling to Delhi with his mother to train under coach Tarak Sinha at the Sonnet Cricket Academy. Those early trips were not easy. Pant and his mother would often stay at a gurdwara in Moti Bagh because they did not have a place to stay in Delhi.

Years later, the boy who travelled from Roorkee to Delhi in search of better cricket facilities became an India international, a Test match star, an IPL captain and one of the country’s best-known wicketkeeper-batters. Now, at 28, Pant wants to build his first home in the place where his story began.

Rishabh Pant’s appeal to Uttarakhand Chief Minister

Pant’s appeal was simple. He said he had been looking for land in Uttarakhand for around three years but had not been able to find a suitable option. He wanted enough space to build his home and shift his base from Delhi.

Pant also mentioned that he had been waiting for land that he said had previously been promised to him while he was promoting Uttarakhand. However, his main request was about buying land rather than receiving it as a gift.

In a reply to his own post, Pant said he would be happy to purchase the land from the government at government rates. He also said that he did not know how to go through the process and asked the Chief Minister for help.

@pushkardhami hello sir how’s you ??? It’s a long time for me especially being local from Uttrakhand . I have been trying to buy land to shift my base from Delhi to Uttrakhand and I couldn’t find anything facilitating and big to live here I love my Uttrakhand. My humble request…

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) August 7, 2026

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami responded by praising Pant’s contribution to Indian cricket and his connection with Uttarakhand. Dhami said officials would contact Pant and provide assistance according to government rules. For Pant, this was not simply a request about property. It was also a public statement about where he wants to make his home.

Rishabh Pant’s Uttarakhand roots

Rishabh Pant was born on October 4, 1997, in Roorkee, Uttarakhand. His childhood was spent in Roorkee, where he first developed an interest in cricket. His early cricket was not built around a major professional setup. Like many young players, he played school and local cricket and often competed against older boys.

Pant has spoken about how there were not enough structured cricket opportunities for young players in Uttarakhand at that time. That meant he had to look beyond his hometown.

His mother, Saroj Pant, played an important role in supporting his cricket dream. When Pant was around 12, he started travelling to Delhi on weekends for training with coach Tarak Sinha.

The journey from Roorkee to Delhi was not a short or comfortable one. Pant would travel with his mother and spend nights at a gurdwara in Delhi before returning home. The sacrifices were part of his early cricket life.

At that time, there was no guarantee that the young left-hander would become an international cricketer. He was simply a talented boy trying to find a place where he could improve.

The move from Roorkee to Delhi

Delhi became an important part of Pant’s development. Coach Tarak Sinha helped him work on his batting and guided him through the early stages of his career. Pant was known for attacking batting from a young age. He often played against older players and had to score quickly in short-format local matches.

That experience helped shape the aggressive batting style that later became one of his biggest strengths. Pant’s early cricket also included a period when he was considered for Rajasthan age-group cricket, but his path eventually led him to Delhi. His performances for Delhi’s age-group teams started bringing him attention.

One of his important junior cricket performances came against Assam in the Under-19 level. After scoring 35 in the first innings, Pant hit 150 in the second innings.

That innings became an important moment in his rise through the domestic system. He also represented India at the Under-19 level.

During the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, Pant hit a fifty from just 18 balls against Nepal, which was the fastest fifty in the tournament at that level. The signs were becoming clear. Pant was not just a talented wicketkeeper-batter. He was a player capable of changing the speed of a game.

Rishabh Pant’s rise in Delhi cricket

Pant’s performances soon took him into senior domestic cricket for Delhi. He made his first-class debut for Delhi during the 2015-16 season. His attacking style quickly made him one of the most talked-about young batters in Indian domestic cricket.

The IPL also arrived at the right time. Pant was picked by the Delhi franchise in the 2016 IPL season. His IPL debut gave him the chance to play alongside experienced international cricketers and compete in front of a much larger audience.

He did not take long to make an impact. His batting was aggressive, his wicketkeeping improved and his confidence continued to grow. The same player who had once travelled from Roorkee to Delhi with his mother was now travelling around India as a professional cricketer.

From Delhi to the Indian cricket team

Pant’s domestic and IPL performances eventually earned him an India call-up. He made his T20I debut against England in February 2017. His Test debut came in August 2018 against England at Trent Bridge.

His ODI debut followed in October 2018 against the West Indies. That meant Pant had reached the Indian team in all three formats at just 21 years of age. His rise was quick, but it was not always smooth. There were periods when his place in the limited-overs team was questioned.

His attacking style sometimes led to mistakes. However, Test cricket became the format where Pant built a special record. He scored important hundreds in England and Australia and became one of India’s most valuable wicketkeeper-batters in Test cricket.

The BCCI currently lists Pant with 50 Tests, 3,557 runs and eight centuries, along with 19 fifties. His highest Test score is 159 not out. His international career also includes 31 ODIs and 76 T20Is.

Rishabh Pant’s international career stats

Format	Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s
Tests	50	87	3,557	159*	43.38	74.06	8	19
ODIs	31	27	871	125*	33.50	106.22	1	5
T20Is	76	66	1,209	65*	23.25	127.26	0	3
Total	157	180	5,637	—	—	—	9	27

Pant has also made a big contribution with the gloves. The BCCI records 16 catches and 16 stumpings in Tests, 27 catches and one stumping in ODIs, and 40 catches and 11 stumpings in T20Is.

Rishabh Pant’s Test cricket record

Test cricket has arguably been the biggest part of Pant’s international career. His batting average of more than 43 in Tests is strong for a wicketkeeper-batter, while his strike rate of more than 74 shows how aggressively he has played. He has scored eight Test centuries.

His 159 not out against Australia is his highest Test score. Pant has also scored Test centuries in both England and Australia, a record highlighted by the official IPL profile. His Test career includes some of India’s most memorable overseas performances in recent years.

Pant’s style is different from the traditional approach expected from a lower-order wicketkeeper. Instead of simply trying to survive, he often looks for scoring opportunities. That approach has helped him change games quickly.

Pant’s ODI and T20I career

While Test cricket has been a major part of his career, Pant has also played an important role in India’s white-ball teams. In ODIs, he has scored 871 runs in 31 matches at a strike rate above 106. His highest ODI score is 125 not out. He has one ODI century and five fifties.

In T20Is, Pant has played 76 matches and scored 1,209 runs. His highest score is 65 not out.  He has three T20I fifties. He was also part of India’s squad that won the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The official IPL profile also notes his role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy-winning squad.

Rishabh Pant’s IPL career

Pant’s IPL journey started in 2016 with the Delhi franchise. For almost a decade, Delhi remained a major part of his professional cricket career. He eventually became the captain of Delhi Capitals and led the team in the IPL.

In the 2025 mega auction, Lucknow Super Giants bought Pant for a record ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history at the time. He was also appointed captain of the franchise.

Pant spent the 2025 and 2026 seasons with Lucknow. The official LSG profile lists him with 139 IPL matches, 3,865 runs, two centuries and 20 fifties after the 2026 season. His IPL career strike rate is listed at 146.79, with 181 sixes.

Rishabh Pant’s IPL career stats

IPL Stat	Record
Matches	139
Runs	3,865
Highest Score	128*
Batting Average	33.61
Strike Rate	146.79
Centuries	2
Fifties	20
Fours	349
Sixes	181
Stumpings	24
IPL Debut	2016

Pant’s time with Lucknow came to an end after the 2026 IPL season.

He stepped down as captain after the team finished at the bottom of the table. Soon after, he was involved in a trade that took him back to Delhi Capitals, the franchise where his IPL career had started.

So, even his IPL career has now come full circle.

From a gurdwara in Delhi to an India dressing room

One of the most striking parts of Pant’s early story is how far he had to travel before becoming a professional cricketer. As a 12-year-old, he travelled from Roorkee to Delhi to train.

He and his mother did not have a permanent place to stay in the capital, so they spent nights at a gurdwara in Moti Bagh. There was no certainty that the sacrifice would lead to an India call-up.

Pant simply kept training. Coach Tarak Sinha played a major role in helping him develop as a batter. Pant has previously credited Sinha with changing his life and said he followed his coach’s advice closely.

Eventually, Delhi became his cricket home. He played domestic cricket for Delhi. He played IPL cricket for the Delhi franchise. He made his India debut. He became a Test match regular. He played major international tournaments. The boy from Roorkee had reached the highest level of Indian cricket.

A career shaped by Uttarakhand and Delhi

It would be difficult to tell Pant’s story without mentioning both Uttarakhand and Delhi. Uttarakhand gave him his roots. Roorkee was where his childhood cricket began. Delhi gave him the cricketing environment that helped him develop into a professional player. His mother made regular trips with him to Delhi. His coach helped shape his batting.

Delhi’s domestic system gave him the opportunity to move into senior cricket. Then India opened the door to international cricket. In many ways, Pant’s journey has always been connected to both places.

That is why his request to build his first house in Uttarakhand carries a personal meaning. He spent years away from his native State because cricket demanded it. Now, he wants to create a permanent home there.

Pant’s journey from Roorkee to India

Rishabh Pant’s cricket journey can be divided into a few simple stages.

Roorkee: This was where Pant was born and where his early love for cricket developed.

Delhi: At around 12, he began travelling to Delhi for training under Tarak Sinha. The city later became his cricket base.

Delhi domestic cricket: Pant progressed through age-group cricket before making his senior debut for Delhi.

IPL: He was picked by the Delhi franchise in 2016 and quickly became one of the most exciting young batters in the tournament.

India: His performances earned him international opportunities across T20Is, Tests and ODIs.

International cricket: Pant established himself as a major wicketkeeper-batter, especially in Test cricket.

Return to his roots: In 2026, Pant publicly asked for help in buying land in Uttarakhand so he could build his first house there.

It is a journey that has taken him from a small town in Uttarakhand to some of the biggest cricket grounds in the world.

A first house in his native Uttarakhand

Pant’s appeal to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has added a new chapter to his long association with Uttarakhand. He has spent most of his professional life in Delhi and has represented Delhi in domestic cricket. His early cricket training was also closely linked to the capital.

But Roorkee remains the place where his story began. Pant’s request was also clear on one important point: he wants to buy the land rather than simply receive it as a gift. He wants to build his own house in his own State.

Chief Minister Dhami’s response has also opened the official process for the request, with government officials expected to contact Pant and provide assistance according to the rules.

For a cricketer who once travelled from Roorkee to Delhi just to attend training, the idea of building his first home back in Uttarakhand brings his personal journey almost full circle.

Rishabh Pant left Uttarakhand as a young boy chasing a cricket dream. Delhi became the place where he trained, learned, played domestic cricket and entered the IPL. India became the stage where he built his international career.

Now, after years of travelling across the country and the world for cricket, Pant has publicly expressed his wish to return to the place he still calls home.

From Roorkee to Delhi, Delhi to India, and now back towards Uttarakhand, Rishabh Pant’s journey has come a long way.

And the story of the boy who once travelled overnight with his mother for cricket now includes another simple dream: having a home in the State where it all began.