Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant created yet another record a few days after making into history books for becoming the first Indian batter to hit 100 sixes in the Tests. Pant is now officially ahead of former wicketkeeper batter and captain MS Dhoni to become India’s leading wicketkeeper scorer in away or neutral Tests. Notably, Pant is currently a part of India’s squad taking on Sri Lanka in the second of their ICC World Test Championship match at SSC, Colombo. The game saw Pant score 63 runs in the first innings after returning hurt earlier on Day 1. 

The 28-year-old got struck on wrist and had to leave the field before he returned on Day 2 and posted a gritty fifty and a knock of 63 runs. He, along with Dhruv Jurel, built a crucial 112-run stand for the seventh wicket, and played a crucial role in helping the side cross the monumental 500-run mark. During his knock, Pant entered the record books and surpassed the former skipper to score most runs as a wicketkeeper in away or neutral Tests. 

As Pant crossed 30 runs on Monday, he crossed Dhoni to lead the charts with 2501* runs at an average of 41.68. The 2011 ODI World Cup winning captain, on the other hand, has 2496 runs, while Farokh Engineer, Syed Kirmani, and Kiran More have occupied third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively. Not only this, but Pant also now has the fourth highest Test score by an Indian wicketkeeper in Sri Lanka. The top three spots are occupied by Dhoni with 76 runs, Wriddhiman Saha by 67 runs, and Rishabh Pant, himself with 66 runs. 

Rishabh Pant Surpasses Adam Gilchrist on Test Six-Hitting Charts

During his knock in the first innings, Pant broke another record as well. He has now surpassed Australian legend Adam Gilchrist to become the third-highest six-hitter in the longest format. During his knock, Pant hit two sixes and four boundaries. His two maximums took his six tally to 102 in just 52 games and moved him past Gilchrist’s tally of 100 sixes in 96 Tests. Earlier during the first Test, he had levelled the former cricketer, and became the first Indian batter to reach three digits. 

He is now only behind England’s Ben Stokes and former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum on the all-time list. The former England cricketer leads the charts with 138 sixes in 122 Tests, while McCullum has 107 maximums in 101 games. This is not it as the Roorkie-born has now scored 2,498 runs in 42 WTC matches and 74 innings to move past teammate and skipper Shubman Gill as the leading run-scorer in the WTC. Pant has batted at an average of 42.11 and a strike rate of over 74. He has recorded six hundreds and 18 fifties thus far.