Rishabh Pant Gets Huge Praise as Former India Bowler Calls Him Test Great

Rishabh Pant has been the first Indian hitter to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket, doing so on August 18, 2026, against Sri Lanka in Galle. Rishabh Pant scored 66 runs off 69 balls, including eight fours and two sixes, at a strike rate of more than 95. This record places him among only four batsmen in history to achieve the feat in Test cricket.

Dodda Ganesh, a former India seamer who claimed 365 first-class wickets in four Tests and one ODI, has provided a compelling evaluation of Rishabh Pant place in Indian cricket history. Ganesh believes Pant’s contribution to Test cricket goes well beyond his aggressive batting style and record-breaking performances.

Rishabh Pant Test data and average comparison

Rishabh Pant Test record highlights the substance of Ganesh’s opinion. Throughout his Test career, the wicket-keeper batsman has scored 3,557 runs at an average of 43.37, with 8 centuries and 19 fifties. He has hit Test hundreds in England, Australia, and South Africa, showcasing his ability to succeed under varying situations on the world’s top cricket stages.

Fastest to 100 sixes in Test cricket.

Despite playing less matches than his predecessors, Pant is the second-highest run-scorer among Indian wicketkeepers. MS Dhoni, India’s most famous wicketkeeper batsman, averaged 38.09 in Tests, whereas Syed Kirmani averaged 27.04.

Pant’s average of 43.37 puts him ahead of both in terms of efficiency, although Dhoni still leads in overall runs because to his longer career.

Pant reached 100 sixes in just 51 Tests, making him the fastest of the four batsmen to do so. Ben Stokes leads with 138 sixes, while Brendon McCullum has 107.

Rishabh Pant reached 100 sixes in 31 less Tests than Stokes, and 41 innings and 1,660 fewer balls than Adam Gilchrist, the previous wicket-keeper record holder. Former India opener Virender Sehwag is the closest Indian to reaching this milestone, having struck 90 sixes in his Test career.