Rishabh Pant Called India's 'Greatest Wicketkeeper-Batter Ever, Well Ahead Of MS Dhoni'

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar hailed Rishabh Pant as the country's "greatest wicketkeeper-batter ever" following his breathtaking century against England, calling him a "breath of fresh air". Pant continued his fine run in Test cricket, getting his seventh Test ton and breaking plenty of records during his knock in the first Test against England at Leeds. Speaking on 'Match Centre Live', Manjrekar said, "By far, India's greatest ever Test batter-keeper. I was worried when he was in the 90s that he might end up getting his 8th 90 of his career. It is just unbelievable that he has so many 90s! But he's a breath of fresh air."

"When he got out and raised his bat, there were a lot of English supporters who stood up and applauded that innings. That's what we love about England -- these guys come to watch good cricket. They want their team to win, but when they see excellence from the opposition, you can see true appreciation for it," he added.

The fact that Pant has slammed soem classic tons abroad raises his stature, according to Manjrekar. 

“Again, I am a believer in where you got your hundreds, and I'm a big sort of, I always look at hundreds. OK, where have we got it? He's got hundreds in England. He's got 100 in South Africa. He's got a couple of hundreds in Australia,” Manjrekar said.

“So when you look at the MS' hundreds, with all due respect to his fans, his centuries would not be so much in these countries where batting is a bit more challenging, as batting on an Indian pitch. In Test cricket, he's already well ahead of MS,” he added.

Pant on Saturday surpassed MS Dhoni to register the most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter and continued his good show in what are regarded as tough wickets in countries outside Asia.

Pant reached the milestone during India's first Test against England at Leeds. In his innings, Pant smashed 134 in 178 balls, with 12 fours and six sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of over 75. Pant now has seven centuries, overtaking Dhoni, who has six Test centuries.

This is also his fifth century in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) conditions, the most by an Asian batter. Three of these centuries have come in England and one each have come in Australia and South Africa.

Also, he has equalled Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara (seven centuries) for most centuries in Tests as a designated keeper among all Asian countries.

Topics mentioned in this article

Rishabh Pant MS Dhoni India Cricket Team England Cricket Team England vs India, 2025 Cricket