Rishabh Pant etched his name in cricketing folklore once again with a landmark performance at Lord’s on Saturday (July 12), breaking records and rewriting history during the third Test against England. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter became the leading six-hitter in Test matches against England, surpassing none other than the legendary Viv Richards.
IND Vs ENG, 3rd Test: Rishabh Pant Breaks Viv Richards' Record, Equals Rohit Sharma In Sixes
IND Vs ENG, 3rd Test: Rishabh Pant achieved the feat in style by launching Ben Stokes for a towering six off the final ball of the 59th over, overtaking Richards’ mark of 34 sixes in Tests against England
Pant achieved the feat in style by launching Ben Stokes for a towering six off the final ball of the 59th over, overtaking Richards’ mark of 34 sixes in Tests against England.
He wasn’t done yet—three overs later, he smacked Shoaib Bashir for another maximum, taking his tally to 36 sixes in just 15 Tests against the English, leaving behind legends and active players alike.
This feat places him ahead of the elite company of Richards (34 sixes), New Zealand’s Tim Southee (30), and his own compatriots Yashasvi Jaiswal (27) and Shubman Gill (26). But the milestones didn’t stop there.
Pant’s two sixes at Lord’s also helped him equal Rohit Sharma’s tally of 88 sixes in Test cricket—the second-most by an Indian after Virender Sehwag’s 91. With the way Pant bats, it’s likely only a matter of time before he surpasses even Sehwag to become India’s most prolific six-hitter in the longest format.
Adding further gloss to his innings, Pant registered his eighth 50-plus score in Tests in England, scoring a gritty 74 off 112 balls. The knock featured eight boundaries and those two trademark sixes, coming at a crucial time for India as he shared a vital 141-run stand with KL Rahul.
In doing so, he equaled another Indian great—MS Dhoni—for the most 50-plus scores in England by a designated visiting wicketkeeper. Dhoni reached that mark in 23 innings, while Pant matched it in just 22.
Though his innings ended in dramatic fashion—a direct-hit run-out by Stokes on 74—it was another display of resilience and flair from Pant. Battling a finger injury and the expectations that come with wearing the gloves for India,
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