India’s star wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant has been nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards. The batter is nominated under the category of “best comeback of the year” award. Rishabh Pant made the cut among five more sportspersons in the world. Pant will represent both India and the sport of cricket as the world’s biggest sports awards celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The 27-year-old made a fantastic comeback in international cricket in 2024 after the horrific life-threatening car crash back in 2023. The ceremony will take place in Madrid, Spain, on April 21 and be a celebration of the greatest athletic achievements of 2024 and the best sporting moments from the 25 years since the first Laureus World Sports Awards, in 2000.
Rishabh Pant’s journey after car crash.
Rishabh Pant’s journey is dramatic. He nearly lost everything in an accident, faced a long road to recovery, and made a heroic comeback. He played a major role in India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup and then made important contributions in the Test cricket team as well after coming back.
Pant shared about the accident that happened in December 2020 on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. “I felt my time in this world was up,” he said. He was pulled from his vehicle before it caught fire, avoiding the loss of a leg but suffering several critical injuries. It took him 629 days to return to Test cricket. upon his comeback, he scored a match-winning century against Bangladesh, equalling MS Dhoni’s record for the most Test hundreds by an Indian wicketkeeper.
Rishabh Pant on getting Laureus World Sports Awards
Talking about his nomination for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, Rishabh Pant said, “I have always believed that the biggest virtue of life is to be grateful for everything God has blessed you with. When I survived the near-fatal car crash, I realized 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, he returned to play for the Indian Test team, 629 days after the car crash, in the same year India won the ICC T20 World Cup.
He further stated, “My journey back to competitive cricket was incredibly challenging, so when the moment eventually arrived, the culmination of a long mental and physical battle, was extremely fulfilling. Being nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award is very special to me and an acknowledgement to the efforts of everyone involved in my comeback, right from my family, the BCCI, doctors, medical team, support staff, trainers and the fans. it’s an honour for me to be nominated this year. I hope my story and those of the other nominated athletes can inspire sports fans and individuals across the world to never give-up, have self-belief and always be grateful and happy in life.”
Pant nominated among the best sportspersons
Pant is joined on the shortlist by gymnast Rebeca Andrade who successfully battled through a tortuous struggle with anterior cruciate ligament injures to win gold in Paris; ski racer Lara Gut-Behrami and swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who defended her Olympic 400m freestyle title shortly after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour on her ovary; 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.
Laureus World Comeback Of The Year Award nominees
| Name | Country | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Rebeca Andrade | Brazil | Gymnastics |
| Caeleb Dressel | USA | Swimming |
| Lara Gut-Behrami | Switzerland | Alpine Skiing |
| Marc Márquez | Spain | Motor Cycling |
| Rishabh Pant | India | Cricket |
| Ariarne Titmus | Australia | Swimming |
Carlos Alcaraz & Max Verstappen nominated as well
World’s biggest sports stars are nominated for the awards under different categories. Tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz and F1 Star Max Verstappen are the famous names who were nominated for the World Sportsman Of The Year Award.
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