Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes Rishabh Pant has what it takes to overtake MS Dhoni’s record for most Test runs by an Indian wicketkeeper, provided he gets enough matches.
Pant, India’s current Test vice-captain, is recovering from a right foot fracture sustained during the fourth Test against England in Manchester. Despite the setback, his record already stands out — 3,427 runs in 47 Tests at an average of 44.50, including eight centuries. Dhoni, who played 90 Tests, finished with 4,876 runs at 38.09 and six centuries.
“Dhoni tops the charts for matches and runs — 90 games, 144 innings, 4,876 runs and six centuries,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel on Sunday. “Pant, in nearly half the games, is only 1,400 runs behind and already has eight centuries. If he plays more, he will obviously go past Dhoni.”
Rishabh Pant’s recent tour of England underlined his dominance. In seven innings, he piled up 479 runs at an average of 68.42, including two centuries in the series opener at Headingley. He has now scored over 1,000 runs in England — the only wicketkeeper to achieve the feat — with four centuries and five fifties in just 13 matches (24 innings). “They might start building his statues in England,” Chopra quipped.
Comparing Pant to global greats, Chopra noted that Adam Gilchrist leads all Test wicketkeepers with 5,570 runs at 47.60 in 96 matches. “Pant is about 2,250 runs behind Gilchrist. Without a shadow of doubt, he’s already India’s No. 1 wicketkeeper-batter, and by the time he finishes, he could be one of the best in world cricket,” Chopra said.
