Rishabh Pant creates history after being nominated for Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award

India National Cricket Team player Rishabh Pant has been nominated for one of the biggest awards in the sporting world. The keeper-batter on Monday (4th March) was considered one of the picks for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award.

As he was nominated, he became only the second cricketer in history to be nominated for the Laureus Award after Sachin Tendulkar. Rishabh Pant was considered for the Award Category for the incredible comeback that he made after the life-threatening accident that he met with.

Rishabh Pant met with a horrible car accident in December 2022

Pant met with a horrible car accident on December 30, 2022. The keeper-batter was on his way back home from Delhi to Roorkee. The Southpaw dozed off while driving and his car crashed into the divider and then flipped.

Not only this, but his car also caught fire immediately. Some locals came to rescue them and removed him from the car. The keeper-batter faced right knee ligament damage, wrist and ankle injuries, back abrasions, and cuts on his forehead.

Pant was then out of action for more than one year as he underwent multiple surgeries. The keeper-batter then made a comeback through the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for Delhi Capitals in the match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.

Rishabh Pant looked in great touch in the IPL 2024, and thanks to his heroics with the bat, he was included in the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The keeper-batter played a vital role for the team and helped them lift the title under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.

After that Pant made his Test comeback in a grand way. He hit a magnificent century and equaled MS Dhoni for most centuries as an Indian wicketkeeper. In November 2024, Rishabh Pant also became the costliest buy in the history of the IPL after Lucknow Super Giants bought him for INR 27 crore.

I have always believed that the biggest virtue of life is to be grateful for everything God has blessed you with - Rishabh Pant

Pant, who is part of the Indian team for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, talked about his nomination. He opened up about how he made his comeback and while speaking in an official release, he said:

"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 - Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant added after he was fit, he relived his dream of playing for India once again.

"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"

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