NEW DELHI: According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘superpower’ has two primary definitions: a highly influential nation (often marked by military or economic pre-eminence), and an extraordinary or superhuman capacity or skill in a normal human being.
From a cricketing perspective, Rishabh Pant has already performed feats on the field that have left many convinced he possesses some kind of superpower — hitting a six through his falling sweep shot, sweeping fast bowlers for boundaries, breaching long-standing fortresses, and chirping with his trademark lines while donning the keeping gloves.
But there’s one particular superpower, which is deeply admirable, that truly defines Pant — the 'never giving up' attitude. “Chahiye hi nahi yaar superpower, already hai (I don’t need a superpower, it’s already there) – never giving up, ” Pant once said in a video posted on the Lucknow Super Giants’ Instagram account on March 19.
This ‘never giving up’ trait has defined him in many moments — like when he scored 97 during the drawn Sydney Test while nursing an elbow injury, or during his unbeaten 91 at the Gabba to give India a hair-raising 2-1 series win. It shone once again in March 2024, when he made a staggering comeback to competitive cricket just 15 months after surviving a life-threatening car accident.
But on July 24, during day two of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Pant did something nothing short of audacious: he walked out to bat again, resuming his innings on 37, despite a broken right foot. It seemed irrational and even insane, as everyone watching him, whether in the stands and on screens, was left stunned.