Rishabh Pant scripts new staggering Indian record in SL Test series; leaves behind Dhoni to join Gilchrist in elite list

Young Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant had a sensational Test series against Sri Lanka this month scoring 185 runs at a strike rate of 120 and inflicting as many as 8 dismissals in the two-match contest. And the youngster was rewarded for his sensational show with the Player of the Series award, a first in his career, but more so a record-scripting award for the 24-year-old. 

No Indian wicketkeeper-batter has ever picked a Player of the Series award in Test cricket, no even the legendary MS Dhoni. And here’s a 30-Test old Pant who scored 96 in the Mohali Test and a record-breaking half-century in the Bengaluru pink-ball Test while also showing some impressive glovework on the tricky Chinnaswamy track to pick the elusive trophy. 

With the trophy, he joined Australia legend Adam Gilchrist in the elusive list, who won the award thrice in his illustrious career – Australia in South Africa Test Series (2001/02), Trans-Tasman Trophy (2004/05) and ICC Super Series Test Match (ICC World XI in Australia) in 2005.

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Captain Rohit Sharma too was mighty impressed with Pant’s improved batting in the series and admitted that his game plan has gotten better. 

“His batting is his batting. We know how he bats and as a team we just want to give him that freedom to bat in the way that he wants to bat. But also keeping in mind certain situations of the game, where the game is going, we have also conveyed that to him, but we want to stick with his game plan as a team. It just seems to get better and get better – his game plans,” he said in the post-match presser.

“There will be times when you will smash your head and say ‘why did he play that shot’ but again we need to be ready to accept that with him when he bats. And he is somebody who can change the game in 40 minutes.”