Rishabh Pant Needs 3 Sixes for 100 Test Sixes in Sri Lanka

Rishabh Pant will have a major opportunity to create history when India take on Sri Lanka in the upcoming two-match Test series. The first Test is scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15, and Pant is set to retain his place in India’s playing XI.

The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter is closing in on two significant milestones. Pant currently has 97 sixes in Test cricket, meaning he needs just three more maximums to become the first Indian batter to reach the landmark of 100 sixes in the longest format.

Rishabh Pant eyes 100 Test sixes

Pant has established himself as one of the most attacking batters in Test cricket since making his debut against England in 2018. In 50 Test appearances, he has already smashed 97 sixes, putting him at the top of India’s list for most sixes in the format.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag is second on the list with 90 sixes, while Rohit Sharma follows with 88. Ravindra Jadeja has hit 82 maximums, with MS Dhoni completing the top five with 78 sixes.

If Pant clears the ropes three times during the Sri Lanka series, he will become the first Indian batter to reach 100 Test sixes.

Only three batters have crossed 100 Test sixes

Pant would also join an exclusive group of batters who have reached the 100-six milestone in Test cricket. Only Adam Gilchrist, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have previously achieved the feat.

Stokes currently leads the list with 138 sixes in 122 Tests. McCullum finished his Test career with 107 sixes in 101 matches, while Gilchrist became the first player to reach the landmark and ended his career with exactly 100 sixes in 96 Tests.

Pant also closing in on 3,000 WTC runs

Another major milestone is also within Pant’s reach in the World Test Championship. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter has accumulated 2,780 runs in 40 WTC matches and currently holds the record for the most runs by a wicketkeeper-batter in the competition.

Pant needs another 220 runs in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka to become the first wicketkeeper-batter in WTC history to reach 3,000 runs.

Achieving both milestones would further underline Pant’s impact in Test cricket and his importance to India’s batting lineup.

India’s Test challenge against Sri Lanka

India will begin their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle on August 15. The conditions are expected to provide a significant challenge for the Indian batters, particularly against Sri Lanka’s spin attack.

With Pant’s aggressive batting style, his ability to counter spin and attack the bowlers could be crucial for India. The series therefore presents the 28-year-old with an opportunity to contribute to India’s campaign while also chasing two historic individual milestones.

Indian batters with most Test sixes

Two major milestones within reach

With just three sixes required for 100 Test maximums and 220 runs needed for 3,000 WTC runs, Pant could potentially rewrite two major records during India’s Sri Lanka tour.

His performance in Galle and the second Test could therefore be significant not only for India’s chances in the series but also for Pant’s growing legacy in Test cricket.