Rishabh Pant Goes Past Adam Gilchrist in Galle… India Star Now Chasing an Even Bigger Test Record

When Rishabh Pant walks out to bat in Test cricket, conventional expectations rarely apply.

The Indian wicketkeeper-batter has built his reputation by attacking bowlers even in situations where most batters would prefer caution. Against Sri Lanka in Galle, that fearless approach has now helped him move beyond one of the greatest wicketkeeper-batters the game has seen — Adam Gilchrist.

Pant overtook the former Australian star in the list of batters with the most sixes in away Test matches, climbing to second place in the all-time rankings.

For a player who has frequently been compared with Gilchrist because of his aggressive left-handed batting and wicketkeeping role, moving past the Australian great carries additional significance.

But Pant’s latest record may only be the beginning.

Pant Moves Past Adam Gilchrist’s 59 Away Test Sixes

Before the Galle Test, Pant was already closing in on Gilchrist’s tally.

Gilchrist had struck 59 sixes in away Tests during his celebrated career for Australia. Pant moved past that figure during the first Test against Sri Lanka, taking his tally to 60 away Test sixes.

That pushed Pant into second place on the all-time list.

And considering how naturally six-hitting has become part of his red-ball game, the milestone feels particularly appropriate.

Pant does not simply attack when India are dominating. Some of his most memorable counterattacking performances have arrived when the team has been under pressure.

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Whether charging against a spinner or attempting an audacious stroke against fast bowling, Pant has repeatedly shown a willingness to take risks that few Test batters would consider.

Only One Batter Now Stands Above Pant

Surpassing Adam Gilchrist is a huge achievement, but Pant still has another target ahead of him.

Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum holds the record for the most sixes in away Tests, with 62 maximums. Pant’s tally reached 60 after moving past Gilchrist, putting the Indian wicketkeeper within touching distance of the record.

That leaves a fascinating possibility for the remainder of India’s Test assignments.

Pant needs only a handful of additional sixes away from home to move beyond McCullum and claim the top position outright.

For a conventional batter, that might take considerable time.

For Rishabh Pant, a few sixes can arrive in the space of a single over.

The Adam Gilchrist Comparison Comes Full Circle

Pant has been compared with Gilchrist throughout much of his international career.

The similarities are obvious.

Both are left-handed wicketkeeper-batters. Both possess the ability to completely change the momentum of a Test match through aggressive batting. And neither has been afraid to attack when the opposition believes it has control of the game.

Gilchrist revolutionised expectations surrounding wicketkeeper-batters during Australia’s dominant era, proving that a world-class keeper could simultaneously become one of the most destructive players in a Test batting line-up.

Pant has developed his own version of that role for India.

He has already produced memorable performances in challenging overseas conditions, with his Test career featuring important innings in countries including Australia, England and South Africa.

Now, at least in one major six-hitting statistic, Pant has gone beyond the Australian legend.

Pant Scores 39 in Galle

Pant’s record arrived during India’s first innings of the opening Test against Sri Lanka at Galle.

The wicketkeeper-batter scored 39 runs, while Devdutt Padikkal produced the standout performance with a superb 167.

Pant’s innings, however, attracted attention for contrasting reasons.

While his aggressive approach helped him move past Gilchrist’s six-hitting record, the manner of his dismissal also drew criticism from former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif, who questioned Pant’s shot selection given the match situation.

It highlighted the fascinating contradiction that has accompanied Pant throughout his career.

The same fearless approach capable of creating historic records can occasionally result in frustrating dismissals.

But that unpredictability is also what makes Pant one of the most compelling players in modern Test cricket.

Pant Has Already Rewritten India’s Test Record Books

This isn’t the first major Test record Pant has claimed.

In November 2025, the wicketkeeper-batter overtook legendary India opener Virender Sehwag to become the country’s leading six-hitter in Test cricket. Pant surpassed Sehwag’s previous mark of 91 Test sixes during India’s match against South Africa at Eden Gardens.

His record against Sri Lanka therefore adds another remarkable chapter.

Pant is no longer simply an unusually aggressive wicketkeeper.

His numbers increasingly place him among the most destructive batters Test cricket has produced.

More Than Just Six-Hitting

Reducing Pant’s influence to sixes alone, however, would overlook what has made him such an important player for India.

His ability to counterattack has often forced opposition captains to completely rethink their plans.

A defensive field can suddenly become attacking. Spinners who appeared in control can be forced to change their lengths. Fast bowlers can find themselves being charged down the pitch.

That ability to disrupt carefully constructed bowling plans is difficult to measure through traditional statistics.

Pant’s growing collection of records is beginning to capture part of that impact.

He has already established the record for the most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper, moving beyond MS Dhoni’s six hundreds when he scored his seventh Test century against England at Headingley in 2025.

Add his extraordinary six-hitting numbers, and Pant’s position among India’s finest Test wicketkeeper-batters becomes increasingly difficult to dispute.

From Gilchrist to McCullum… Another Record Is Within Reach

For years, Adam Gilchrist and Brendon McCullum represented two of the most destructive wicketkeeper-batters Test cricket had witnessed.

Pant now finds himself alongside — and in some statistical categories ahead of — those names.

Moving past Gilchrist’s tally of away Test sixes is impressive enough.

But the more intriguing story may be what happens next.

With McCullum’s 62-six record within reach, Pant has an opportunity to climb to the very top of the list.

Considering the way Pant plays, nobody should expect him to cautiously wait for the milestone.

If the right delivery arrives, history could disappear over the boundary.

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