Rishabh Pant has rewritten the Indian Test record books once again. On Day 2 of the first Test between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens, the wicketkeeper-batter smashed a towering hit off Keshav Maharaj to become India’s all-time leading six-hitter in Test cricket, moving past legends Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma.
Pant now stands alone at the top with 91 sixes, a remarkable feat achieved in just five years of Test cricket.
Most sixes in Tests for India
-
91 – Rishabh Pant
-
90 – Virender Sehwag
-
88 – Rohit Sharma
-
80 – Ravindra Jadeja
-
78 – MS Dhoni
The historic moment came in vintage Pant fashion.
Facing Maharaj, Pant had just survived a close call the previous delivery. Instead of going defensive, the left-hander charged down the track and launched the very next ball over mid-off for a clean six — a shot that sealed his place at the top of India’s six-hitting charts.
The moment:
Maharaj to Pant, SIX, had an escape the previous ball and immediately jumps down the track to smoke the next one for six! Rishabh Pant for you! It’s tossed up just outside off, he gets to the pitch and nails it over mid-off.
Pant’s aggressive approach has always been a defining feature of his Test career, and this milestone only strengthens his reputation as one of the most fearless and game-changing batters India has ever produced in the longest format.
The Eden Gardens crowd rose to applaud the achievement, celebrating Pant’s return to Test cricket and his record-breaking strike in the same breath.
With age on his side and his natural attacking flair fully intact, Pant looks set to stretch this record far beyond the reach of future generations.
