IND vs ENG | Fractured foot, unbreakable spirit: Rishabh Pant writes a new chapter in Manchester

In the world of superheroes, a “superpower” might mean flight, invisibility, or superhuman strength. But in cricket, Rishabh Pant has shown time and again that his truest superpower is none of these — it’s the unwavering refusal to give up.He’s dazzled with outrageous strokeplay — sweeping fast bowlers, hitting sixes while falling, and rewriting the script at some of cricket’s most daunting venues. But beyond the fireworks lies something far more enduring: grit.Pant’s 'never-say-die' spirit has shown up at the most crucial times — whether it was his heroic 97 in Sydney with an injured elbow, the fearless 91* at the Gabba that clinched a famous series win, or his dramatic return to cricket in 2024, just 15 months after a life-threatening car crash.But nothing captured this superpower more vividly than his decision to bat on July 24 during the fourth Test against England — with a fractured foot.Despite a broken fifth metatarsal, Pant resumed his innings at 37 and went on to score 54, visibly in pain, barely running, yet hitting boundaries. The decision stunned fans and critics alike. Many questioned the risk involved, but Pant made it clear — for him, playing for India wasn’t optional. It was instinct.His sister Sakshi summed it up best: “Zakhmi hoon, magar khel raha hoon, kyunki haar manna meri fitrat mei nahi hai.” (I am injured, but I am still playing, because accepting defeat is not in my nature.)Pant’s journey is full of such stories — from long bus rides from Roorkee to Delhi for trials, to playing an IPL match days after losing his father, to learning from the likes of MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant himself.Sports psychologist Alisha Raut-Pimple, who worked with Pant early in his career, believes this mindset was forged through hardship and nurtured by experience. “He doesn’t view pressure or pain as obstacles — he sees them as challenges to grow through,” she said.Pant’s 54 at Old Trafford now joins cricket’s folklore of bravery — alongside Kumble bowling with a broken jaw, Laxman battling back spasms, or Graeme Smith walking in with a broken hand. But Pant wasn’t chasing headlines. He was just being who he is — a cricketer defined not by boundaries but by backbone.In the end, Pant’s greatest gift to Indian cricket might not be his sixes or centuries, but the lesson his body and spirit keep repeating: the true superpower is never giving up.