An engineering student who sought financial help for his education through social media has announced plans to refund a donation from Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant due to online backlash. The student, facing criticism, said on X (formerly Twitter): “Refunding all the money to Rishabh Pant. Please, I can't handle all this hate. Right now, a refund is not allowed by team Ketto. I emailed them, and as soon as they permit it, I will refund the money and post a screenshot here. Sorry to all.” The student (True India Scenes - X handle) later deleted the post from the platform.

"People calling me a scam don't know that Ketto doesn't list your fundraiser without valid proof. And if you don't believe me, try it yourself," he wrote in a separate post.

The student, who had turned to the crowdfunding platform Ketto for help, tagged Pant in a post asking for support. The post read: "Hello @RishabhPant17Sir 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."

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Moved by the appeal, Pant donated the entire 90,000 rupees needed for the student’s fees. Pant responded to the post with encouragement: “Keep chasing your dreams 👌👌 . God has better plans always tc.”

He later thanked the Team India wicket-keeper batter with the following response: However, the student faced online criticism and decided to refund all the money.

Pant, who recently played in the T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka, is preparing for the 2024 Duleep Trophy with Team India B. He is also expected to make his Test comeback in a two-match series against Bangladesh starting September 19. Pant was a key player in Team India's 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup victory, contributing 171 runs throughout the tournament.