Rishabh Pant recently made headlines for a generous donation to fund a fan’s education, but the situation took an unexpected turn after online trolls got involved. The Delhi Capitals player, who is set to join India B for the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy starting on September 5, responded to a fan’s request for financial support for his engineering studies. However, the story didn’t unfold as expected.
‘Keep Chasing Your Dreams…’ – Rishabh Pant’s Message to an Engineering Student
A fan, under the handle @TrueIndScenes on X, reached out to Pant, requesting financial assistance for his engineering education. In a heartfelt message, the fan wrote,
“Sir, I’m a student struggling to fund my engineering education. Your support can change my life. Please consider helping or sharing my campaign… Your kindness would mean everything to me.”
Pant, known for his big heart, responded with an encouraging message, advising the fan to keep chasing his dreams and reassuring him that better opportunities were in store. Despite the fan’s request for direct financial aid not being fulfilled initially, Pant’s reply brought significant attention to the student’s plight.
“Your support means everything. Despite my efforts, the campaign hasn’t gathered the needed funds. Any help in spreading the word would be a blessing. Still chasing my dreams!” the fan replied.
The Fan’s Plea and Pant’s Generosity
The fan, later identified as Kartikey Maurya, a student at Chandigarh University, continued to seek support, hoping that Pant’s reply would attract more attention to his fundraising campaign. It’s believed that Pant eventually did contribute a certain amount, as Kartikey later uploaded a screenshot as proof. However, the situation quickly soured when online users dug up a previous tweet from Kartikey, where he allegedly mentioned losing ₹90,000 in college fees through betting. This revelation led to accusations of fraud.
Keep chasing your dreams 👌👌 . God has better plans always tc
— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) August 26, 2024
The Backlash and Refund
Faced with intense online trolling and accusations of being a scammer, Kartikey decided to refund the money to Pant. He expressed his distress on X, stating,
“Refunding all the money to Rishabh Pant. Please, I can’t handle all this hate. Right now, a refund is not allowed by the team at Ketto. I mailed them, and as soon as they allow, I will refund the money and post a screenshot here. Sorry to all.”
@RishabhPant17 Bhai ap acche insan ho lekin ye scam tha pic.twitter.com/mQLmakN5EF
— Rahemat_18_7🇮🇳 (@iam_Rahemat) August 27, 2024
Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from a severe injury sustained in late 2022, has made a strong comeback, scoring over 400 runs in IPL 2024 and helping India win the T20 World Cup. His next appearance will be in the Duleep Trophy, where he will play alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Washington Sundar.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by public figures when trying to help, as well as the potential for misunderstandings and backlash in the age of social media.
