Rishabh Pant etched his name in Indian cricket history by smashing his seventh Test century on Day 2 of the first Test against England at Leeds, surpassing former captain MS Dhoni as India’s most decorated wicketkeeper-batter in terms of Test centuries. Pant, who was unbeaten on 65 at the close of play on Day 1, reached the landmark with a flamboyant somersault celebration that drew attention from cricketing legends.
The milestone came after a steady start on Day 1, where Pant had also become India’s leading six-hitter in World Test Championship (WTC) history, overtaking Rohit Sharma. Before the match, Pant and Rohit were tied at 56 sixes each in the WTC, despite Pant playing six fewer games. He hit two sixes on Day 1 to surpass Rohit’s tally. Among all players, Pant trails only England captain Ben Stokes, who has hit 83 sixes in 54 WTC matches.
On Day 1, Pant joined Shubman Gill after the dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal and welcomed Ben Stokes with a boundary, signaling a positive return after a challenging IPL season with Lucknow Super Giants, where he managed just one century against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Alongside overtaking Dhoni’s century tally, Pant also became Asia’s most successful wicketkeeper in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) conditions and crossed the 3,000-run mark in Test cricket – a feat only Dhoni had achieved before him.
Pant’s rise continues to inspire Indian cricket as he cements his place among the great wicketkeeper-batters of the game.
