Rishabh Pant Nominated for Laureus Comeback Award
India’s star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has earned a nomination for the Laureus World Sports Awards. The 27-year-old cricketer, who is set to captain Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the upcoming 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has been shortlisted in the World Comeback of the Year category. This recognition comes as a testament to his resilience and determination after a challenging phase in his career.
Rishabh Pant has become only the second Indian cricketer, after Sachin Tendulkar, to receive a nomination at the Laureus Sports Awards. Tendulkar had earlier won the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020 award for India’s iconic 2011 World Cup victory.
Pant is on the shortlist along with gymnast Rebeca Andrade, who fought through tough knee injuries to win gold in Paris. Ski racer Lara Gut-Behrami and swimmer Ariarne Titmus are also in the running for the award.
The other nominees include Caeleb Dressel, who made a strong comeback after taking a break for his mental health and won two relay gold medals in swimming at the Paris Olympics. Another contender is Marc Márquez, the Spanish MotoGP star who overcame a serious arm injury and went on to win three Grand Prix races.
The winners will be revealed on April 21, 2025.
Rishabh Pant met with a terrible car accident in December 2022, which kept him away from cricket for over a year. After a long and tough recovery, he finally made his comeback after 629 days, playing for Delhi Capitals in the 2024 IPL. His return was nothing short of sensational, proving his resilience and determination.
After a successful IPL season in which he showed his capability with both the bat and gloves, Pant made his comeback into the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2024. He played a useful knock of 42 runs while batting at No.3, and his innings proved crucial as India defeated Pakistan in a thriller in New York.
Also, Rishabh Pant made his Test comeback against Bangladesh in Chennai, where he matched MS Dhoni's record for the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper. In November 2024, he created history in the IPL auction when Lucknow Super Giants bought him for a whopping ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player ever in the tournament.
After being nominated, Rishabh Pant said he has always believed in staying positive and happy in every possible situation.
Pant said in an official release, “I have always believed that the biggest virtue of life is to be grateful for everything God has blessed you with. Over the course of my life, I have focused on being positive and happy in every situation, trusting the power of self-belief and resilience to deal with every challenge. When I survived the near-fatal car crash, I realised that I have been fortunate to be a blessed soul, which inspired me to work extremely hard to undo everything and return to the pitch as a better version of myself with greater motivation."
"I knew that my return to normal life was only half the circle of my comeback and I needed to complete the circle by being committed towards my dream of playing for India again. In 2024, I returned to play for the Indian Test team 629 days after the car crash, the year where we also won the ICC T20 World Cup," he added.
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