Rishabh Pant asked, and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami responded–perhaps faster than the India wicketkeeper-batter expected.Pant’s unusual 12:46 am plea for help in finding land in Uttarakhand received a positive response from Dhami, who assured the cricketer that officials would contact him and provide all possible assistance in accordance with the rules.प्रिय ऋषभ, आप उत्तराखण्ड के गौरव हैं। आपने अपने शानदार खेल और उपलब्धियों से देश-दुनिया में देवभूमि का नाम रोशन किया है। अपनी मातृभूमि के प्रति आपका यह प्रेम और यहां वापस आकर योगदान देने की भावना अत्यंत सराहनीय है।आपके द्वारा उठाए गए विषय के संबंध में संबंधित अधिकारियों को… https://t.co/v3iFQVpxUK— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) August 8, 2026“Dear Rishabh, you are the pride of Uttarakhand,” Dhami wrote on X.Praising Pant’s cricketing achievements, the Chief Minister said the cricketer had made Uttarakhand proud across India and the world.“With your splendid performance and achievements, you have illuminated the name of Devbhoomi in the country and the world. Your love for your motherland and your sentiment of returning here to contribute are highly commendable,” Dhami said.He added: “Regarding the matter you have raised, instructions are being issued to the concerned officials. They will soon contact you and ensure all possible cooperation in accordance with the rules.”Pant’s midnight message that started it allPant had taken to X at 12:46 am on Saturday, directly tagging Dhami and asking for help in acquiring land so that he could shift his base from Delhi to his home state.“I love my Uttarakhand,” Pant wrote, explaining that he had been trying to find a suitable and sufficiently large property for nearly three years.In a second post, Pant made an even more unusual suggestion, writing: “A gift would be lovely” for representing Uttarakhand at the international level.However, Pant also said he was willing to purchase the land from the government at government rates.The midnight appeal quickly went viral. Apart from the land request, users were amused by the timing and the numerous spelling and grammatical errors in Pant’s posts. Some even jokingly questioned whether the cricketer had stayed up a little too late.‘Why special treatment?’ Netizens question Dhami’s responseWhile Pant’s fans welcomed Dhami’s response, several social-media users questioned why the Chief Minister was giving special attention to the cricketer’s request.One user wrote: “Here we go! Taxpayers are paying every penny for their survival and the honourable CM is planning to donate a large portion of taxpayer-owned land to a person who is making millions of dollars.”Another user was more blunt: “Don’t cooperate with him; he wants it for free—don’t even give him a speck of dust.”A third user turned the matter into a joke, writing: “Sir, thodi mujhe bhi dila do… waise I am a very small common man. Not sure if I qualify for the government to provide me some land. I am also a proud Uttarakhandi. Not a sports person, but a common taxpayer contributing to the nation in my small capacity.”Another sarcastic reaction asked: “Socho itna rupiya kamane ke baad usko gift mein land chahiye?”It had mixed reactions. While some users praised Pant for wanting to return to his roots and contribute to Uttarakhand, others questioned whether a wealthy public figure should receive special consideration from the government.Importantly, Dhami did not promise Pant free land. His response said officials would contact the cricketer and provide “all possible cooperation in accordance with the rules”.The government has not yet clarified what form of assistance, if any, Pant will receive.For now, what started as a 12:46 am social-media plea for a piece of Uttarakhand has turned into a full-blown online debate over VIP treatment, taxpayers and the age-old question: agar Pant ko mil sakti hai, toh humko kyun nahi?