Authenticity - Why Rishabh Pant is a Sponsor's Dream
His hundred-celebrating somersault at Headingley illustrates why the Indian superstar is one of most marketable sports people on the planet.
As sport and marketing collide there’s one word that resonates more than any other - authenticity.
At Edgbaston, in the second Test of what is already a compelling series, India will walk out onto the pitch 1-0 down and whether they’re batting or bowling one figure will be central to their hopes of drawing level. And that’s Rishabh Pant.
The 27-year-old became the first Indian wicketkeeper in history to score back-to-back centuries in the opening match at Headingley. That in itself was extraordinary.
The fact that a doctor had told him he was unlikely to ever play the sport again following his near fatal car crash in late December 2022, merely added to the narrative of a career that has had sponsors falling over themselves, pre-and-post accident.
And it’s easy to see why. When Pant scored his first innings hundred, he neatly deposited his equipment mid-wicket before launching into a somersault - one of three celebrations he had reportedly pre-planned in the event of achieving the landmark.
That was happy Pant. We then saw angry Pant when umpire Paul Reiffel refused his pleas to change what the Indian side perceived to be a mis-shaped ball in England’s first innings.
He would later be officially reprimanded for breaching Level One of the ICC code of conduct, after throwing the ball to the turf in anger.
He accepted the charge, which is no surprise because with Pant, what you see is what you get. It’s why sponsors, commercial partners and the cricket loving public love him so much - there are no grey areas. No side.
When Pant is angry, you know it. When he’s happy? Well, he just does a somersault to illustrate the point.
Paddy Upton is a man who knows him well. He was his first coach in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he broke into the Delhi Daredevils team while still in his teens. He also worked with him during his time on the Indian coaching staff.
He tells Rich and Rob that Pant is as authentic as they come. Which is great in some ways. And problematic in others.
“Very often someone's personality plays out on the field,” he says. “You get your conservative personalities, like a Rahul Dravid, Gary Kirsten, Mike Hussey.
“They're conservative off the field and on the field and they play the right shots.
“You get that type of individual, and then, you know, you get guys who are more colourful and expressive personalities. Rebels.
“Rishabh is that sort of naturally rebellious personality - he will intentionally not follow convention, not do what everyone else does.
“You can see that's what he does in the field, the fact that he plays the shots that he does in test cricket - that's a reflection of his personality.
“It's like, ‘I want to do I want to do things differently, I want to do things my way - I'm not going to do things unconditionally’.”
It’s part of the reason he was able to recover from an accident which didn’t just threaten his career, but almost ended his life.
Amid the outpouring of joy that followed his hundreds against England, there was one dissenting voice - that of his surgeon Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwalla.
“Rishabh has a background in gymnastics,” said Pardiwalla. “Despite his physique, he’s remarkably agile and flexible. That’s the reason behind his recent somersault celebrations. It’s a move he’s perfected over time, though, in my opinion, it’s unnecessary.”
Pant could be forgiven for getting a little carried away, given the seriousness of his original prognosis.
“I asked the doctor how long it would take for me to recover. He said it would take 16 to 18 months," Pant told Star Sports in an interview last year.
"I told the doctor that whatever timeline he gave me, I would reduce six months from it."
He was, predictably, as good as his word. Which is part of the reason why, even in a team of highly marketable cricketers, Pant is probably the most valuable of the lot.
“We added quite a few brands when he was going through his recovery. That is reflective of what a great athlete he is to marketers and brands. He is the people's champion and brands recognise this," Ritesh Nath, Business Head, Sports at Collective Artists Network, the company that manages Pant’s brand portfolio said recently.
Not that managing Pant is a picnic.
“Even in the Nets, the coach will ask him to do something a little bit on the conservative side and he won't,” says Upton. “He'll do things his own way.
“He's very much his own man and he'll do what he wants. Off the field that makes him a colourful personality - it makes him interesting personality.”
It also makes him authentic. And in 2025, authenticity sells.
Whether it wins Test series too, only time will tell.
Rob’s Takeaways
Authenticity Is a Commercial Asset; In an era where fans and brands crave connection, athletes like Rishabh Pant remind us that authenticity drives value. He’s unfiltered, unpredictable and unapologetically himself and that’s exactly what commercial partners are buying into. It’s not just about performance; it’s about personality that cuts through.
Rebels Can Be Relational Risks, But Also Rewards; Pant’s naturally rebellious streak challenges convention, which can often be a double-edged sword. Managing such personalities demands emotional intelligence from coaches and executives. If harnessed correctly, non-conformity can be transformative. If mishandled, it can undermine team cohesion.
Resilience Builds Reputation; Pant’s comeback from near-fatal injury wasn’t just a medical feat, it is proving to be a brand-defining moment. The resilience narrative is one of the most powerful in sport marketing. His refusal to follow recovery timelines shows the kind of grit fans remember and brands revere.
Personalities Must Be Aligned with Performance Structures; You can’t coach everyone the same and Pant doesn’t respond to convention. It’s also true that high-performing environments need to be flexible enough to accommodate individual differences while still maintaining collective accountability. Leadership in modern sport needs to be adaptive, rather than overly prescriptive.
Strategic Brand Management Is as Crucial as Squad Management; Pant’s team didn’t wait for the runs to return before rebuilding his brand, they leaned into his story during rehab. That’s world-class brand management. Clubs and federations need to think the same way, and athlete identity, narrative, and visibility don’t begin and end with match day.