Rishabh Pant nominated for World Comeback of the Year at Laureus Sports Awards: 'Knew that my return was inevitable'

Rishabh Pant has made history by becoming the second cricketer, after Sachin Tendulkar, to receive a nomination at the prestigious Laureus Sports Awards. This accolade puts him in elite company alongside the Master Blaster, who previously won the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000-2020 award for his pivotal role in the 2011 World Cup triumph.

Pant is joined on the shortlist by gymnast Rebeca Andrade, who battled through a tortuous struggle with anterior cruciate ligament injuries to win gold in Paris.

Ski racer Lara Gut-Behrami and swimmer Ariarne Titmushave have also been nominated for the category.

The other nominees are Caeleb Dressel, who won two relay golds in the pool in Paris after a break to address his mental health, and Marc Márquez, the Spanish Moto GP ace who won three Grands Prix after an arm injury that threatened his career.

The winners will be revealed on April 21, 2025.

For the uninitiated, Rishabh Pant was involved in a horrific car crash in December 2022, and the India superstar remained out of action for more than a year. He eventually made a comeback 629 days later, when he made a sensational return in the 2024 edition of the IPL for Delhi Capitals.

Pant suffered widespread injuries and needed reconstructive surgery on a knee. 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.

Pant then made his Test comeback against Bangladesh in Chennai, where he equalled 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.

'Have focused on being positive'

After being nominated, Rishabh Pant said he has always believed in staying positive and happy in every possible situation.

“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," Pant said in an official release.

"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.

Pant’s story captured the hearts of cricket fans worldwide, including some of the game’s greatest stars.

“I met with Rishabh in March 2023. At that point, he was well on the road to recovery from his injuries, but also still had a way to go. What struck me most was his relentless positivity. We enjoyed a good laugh in each other's company and it was that generosity of spirit and optimism which carried him through – and saw him cap a remarkable comeback with his return to Test cricket in 2024. He is an example to all sportsmen and women that maintaining a positive approach to injury and setbacks is vital to returning to competitive action," said Yuvraj Singh.

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