Udaipur, November 25, 2024 – Rishabh Pant’s record-breaking buying price in yesterday’s IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has only confirmed that the wicketkeeper-batsman is one of India’s most accomplished cricketer. His story - speaking of determination, grit and resolve – will be one of inspiration to all young sportspeople.

Rishabh Rajendra Pant has suddenly become a hot topic for discussion after he became the most expensive player in the history of IPL to be purchased for more than Rs 25 crore.  The swashbuckling cricketer was bought by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a whopping Rs 27 crore in yesterday’s mega auction.

LSG’s going for the cricketer at such a high price has not surprised many as he is quite a catch. A match-turner and one of the most exciting young talents in modern-day cricket, Pant has been a consistent performer in the IPL because of his aggressive approach. His explosive no-fear, no-brakes batting style is a testimony to the fact that in his first four years in the game, he had as many scores between 90 and 100 in Tests as he did hundreds.

Impressive Knocks

Born on October 4, 1997, in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, Pant debuted for India in 2017 in limited-overs games. However, not too long after, he became a regular fixture in all formats of the games, especially Test cricket in which he stood out as a crucial middle-order batsman for India.

The young cricketer has many impressive knocks under his belt, particularly the Test century on the 2021 tour of England which made him the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a Test century in England. At Headingley, Leeds, Pant struck a game-winning 118 runs in the third Test.

He can play attacking strokes even in challenging situations, much as he is quick behind the stumps. In 2020–2021, he made a spectacular innings during India's historic 2-1 series victory in Australia. His match-winning knock of 89* in the fourth Test at the Gabba helped India chase down a total of 328.

Injury and Recovery

Pant’s aggression and determination is seen not only on the field but in personal life as well. The cricketer was involved in a near-fatal car accident in December 2022 as his Mercedes SUV crashed into the divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. He suffered multiple injuries and missed 14 months off cricket while he went into recovery. The near-fatal accident cast a shadow over the 26-year-old’s future in cricket.

Former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist called it a “near death experience” and former Indian cricketer and coach Ravi Shastri said, "Honestly if you had seen him you would not have given him a hope in hell to play cricket again. I will never forget it. He was in terrible shape. I went to see him in hospital a month after he was injured. He was battered and bruised, scarred all over."  

He called it a “miracle” that Pant was playing cricket again let alone walking.

While the world prayed wanting to see the youngster return to the pitch, Pant did not disappoint. Known for turning the game around in a short time, he worked his way back into the game and into the side. He returned to competitive cricket in the 2024 IPL.

And now, all eyes are on the most expensive player in IPL history as IPL 2025 looms ahead.