Rishabh Pant breaks MS Dhoni's away Test record against Sri Lanka
The wicketkeeper-batter moved past MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist to set new benchmarks for away runs and career Test sixes. An impulsive shot ended his innings prematurely in Colombo.
Rishabh Pant smashed a 95-metre six that damaged a solar panel on the stadium roof and sent the ball flying out of the ground in Colombo, only to be dismissed shortly after lunch with a shot that left him looking devastated. The sequence on Monday, August 24, 2026, encapsulated the duality of the 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter: an unprecedented ability to dominate international bowling paired with an impulsive streak that repeatedly cuts short his own momentum.
Despite the premature end to his innings, Pant used the second Test against Sri Lanka to surpass two of the most storied names in cricket history. By scoring 63 off 89 balls, Pant became India’s highest run-scorer in away Tests as a wicketkeeper-batter, overtaking the 2,496 runs accumulated by former captain MS Dhoni. According to Samaa, Pant now holds 2,534 runs from 36 away Tests, surpassing Dhoni’s tally which was reached across 48 matches.
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Pant also ascended the global leaderboard for power hitting. With two sixes in this innings, he reached 102 career Test sixes in 52 matches, moving past Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, who hit 100 sixes in 96 Tests. He now trails only England's Ben Stokes (138) and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (107) in the all-time list.
The milestones were reached under significant physical duress. On Day 1, Pant was struck on the wrist by a short delivery from Lahiru Kumara while attempting a pull shot. Pragativadi reports that after receiving treatment and having his arm strapped, Pant remained in discomfort and eventually retired hurt after facing 15 balls for 3 runs.
Returning to the crease on Day 2 following the dismissal of debutant Saransh Jain, Pant ignored the injury to anchor the innings. Even as Sri Lankan pacers continued to target him with short-pitched deliveries, resulting in multiple blows to the shoulder, Pant remained composed. He shared a 112-run partnership with Dhruv Jurel that Outlook India describes as crucial in strengthening India's position.
| Record Category | Rishabh Pant | Previous Record Holder |
|---|---|---|
| Away Test Runs (Indian WK) | 2,534 (36 Tests) | MS Dhoni: 2,496 (48 Tests) |
| Career Test Sixes | 102 (52 Tests) | Adam Gilchrist: 100 (96 Tests) |
The clinical nature of his record-breaking run shifted abruptly after the lunch break. Facing Keshara Nuwantha’s first delivery of the session, Pant charged down the pitch for an aggressive hit. He misjudged the flighted delivery, hitting the ball flat to deep mid-off, where Lahiru Udara took the catch.
The dismissal was regarded by Outlook India as an unnecessary shot that "threw away" a wicket just as Pant appeared capable of taking India beyond 400 runs. The player's visible frustration upon returning to the dugout highlighted the gap between his statistical ascent and his tactical volatility.
Beyond the specific match records, Pant has now established himself as India's leading run-scorer in World Test Championship (WTC) history, overtaking captain Shubman Gill. According to Khel Now, Pant has accumulated 2,948 WTC runs across 42 matches and 74 innings, averaging 42.11 with six centuries and 18 fifties.
Pant now requires exactly 52 more runs to become the first designated wicketkeeper-batter in the history of the competition to reach the 3,000-run milestone.
A Legacy of Overseas Dominance
Pant's ascent to the top of the away-test scoring list follows a consistent pattern of breaking benchmarks previously held by India's most iconic glovemen. Before MS Dhoni claimed the record, Khel Now notes that Farokh Engineer held the position for nearly four decades with 1,209 runs, followed by Syed Kirmani and Kiran More. Pant has not only surpassed these figures but has done so in a shorter timeframe than his predecessors.
His trajectory of record-breaking began earlier in the current series during the opening match at Galle, where he became the first Indian batter to reach 100 Test sixes. He achieved this in his 51st Test, which Khel Now identifies as the fastest such feat by any cricketer globally. This followed his 2024 achievement of becoming the fastest Indian wicketkeeper to cross 2,500 Test runs and his 2025 milestone of surpassing Dhoni for the most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper.
The efficiency of Pant's scoring is highlighted by a comparison of his away record against that of the former captain:
| Player | Away Test Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant | 2,501 | 41.68 |
| MS Dhoni | 2,496 | 32.84 |
While Pant dominated the second day in Colombo, the broader Indian batting effort was anchored by Devdutt Padikkal, who scored 117 for his second consecutive Test century, and captain Shubman Gill, who contributed a half-century. These performances, combined with the 112-run stand between Pant and Dhruv Jurel, helped India push toward a commanding first-innings total.
The immediate focus for Pant now shifts to the World Test Championship leaderboard. Having already overtaken Gill to become India's leading run-scorer in the competition, the next step is to secure the 52 runs required to become the first designated wicketkeeper-batter in WTC history to reach 3,000 runs.
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