Rishabh Pant breaks Dhoni's away Test runs record with 63 in Colombo
Synopsis
Rishabh Pant didn't just score a fifty in Colombo — he rewrote Indian cricket's wicketkeeper record book. With 2,534 away-Test runs, he has surpassed MS Dhoni, leapfrogged Mark Boucher, and now sits third globally among all wicketkeepers in away Tests. A 3,000-WTC-run landmark, which would be a first for any Indian, is just 52 runs away.
Key Takeaways
Rishabh Pant scored 63 on Day 2 of the second Test vs Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo on 24 August .
Pant now holds 2,534 runs as an Indian wicketkeeper in away Tests and at neutral venues, surpassing MS Dhoni's previous record.
He ranks third globally among wicketkeepers in away Tests, behind Sarfaraz Ahmed (2,696) and Adam Gilchrist (2,634).
The innings was Pant's 21st Test half-century and a successive one following his fifty in Galle .
Pant is 52 runs short of 3,000 WTC runs — a milestone no Indian has yet reached.
India added 119 runs in the first session of Day 2, with Dhruv Jurel also scoring a half-century.
Rishabh Pant etched his name into Indian cricket history on Monday, 24 August, surpassing MS Dhoni's record for the most Test runs scored by an Indian wicketkeeper in away matches and at neutral venues. The milestone arrived during Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, where Pant stroked a fluent 63 in the first innings.
How the Record Fell
Entering the Test, the 28-year-old left-hander from Roorkee had accumulated 2,471 runs in away Tests and at neutral venues — just 26 short of Dhoni's benchmark. Pant reached and cleared that mark in emphatic fashion, dispatching off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha for back-to-back fours in the 97th over of the first innings during the opening session of Day 2. His innings ended on the first ball of the second session when he drove straight to deep mid-off off the same bowler.
Where Pant Now Stands Globally
With 2,534 runs as a wicketkeeper in away Tests, Pant has pushed Dhoni to second on the Indian list. Among all wicketkeepers globally in away Tests, he now ranks third — behind former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who leads with 2,696 runs in 52 Tests, and Australia legend Adam Gilchrist, who is second with 2,634 runs in 41 Tests. The knock also took Pant past former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher on the same list. Among Indian wicketkeepers in away Tests, Farokh Engineer made 1,209 runs and Syed Kirmani scored 1,109 runs — both now well behind Pant.
The WTC Milestone in Sight
Pant's 63 was also his 21st Test half-century — and a successive one, following a fifty in the second innings of the first Test in Galle. The innings moved him to 2,948 runs in 42 Tests in World Test Championship (WTC) history, leaving him just 52 runs short of 3,000 WTC runs. Should he reach that landmark, Pant would become the first Indian batter to do so in WTC cricket.
India's Day 2 Dominance
Pant's record-breaking knock was part of a commanding first session on Day 2 for India, who added 119 runs while losing only the wicket of Saransh Jain. Dhruv Jurel joined Pant in crossing the half-century mark, with both batters piling sustained pressure on the Sri Lankan bowling attack at the SSC.
With the record now his and the 3,000-WTC-run barrier within reach, Pant's Colombo innings will be remembered as one of the defining moments of his comeback arc in Test cricket.
Point of View
While Pant has moved faster and in a more aggressive era of Test batting. More telling is the global context: at third overall among wicketkeepers in away Tests, Pant is ahead of Boucher and closing in on Gilchrist — names that define the gold standard of wicketkeeper-batting. The 3,000-WTC-run milestone, if achieved, would further cement his case as India's most impactful keeper-batter of the modern era. The question now is whether the selectors and team management give him the consistent run his numbers demand.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What record did Rishabh Pant break in the Colombo Test?
Rishabh Pant surpassed MS Dhoni's record for the most Test runs scored by an Indian wicketkeeper in away matches and at neutral venues. Pant reached 2,534 such runs with his 63 in the first innings of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on 24 August.
How many away Test runs does Rishabh Pant have now?
Pant has 2,534 runs as a wicketkeeper in away Tests and at neutral venues, placing him third overall among all wicketkeepers globally in this category, behind Sarfaraz Ahmed (2,696) and Adam Gilchrist (2,634).
How close is Pant to 3,000 WTC runs?
Following his 63 in Colombo, Pant has 2,948 runs in 42 World Test Championship Tests and needs just 52 more to reach 3,000 — a landmark no Indian batter has achieved in WTC history.
How did Pant reach the record?
Pant needed 26 runs entering the Test to pass Dhoni's mark. He cleared it during the 97th over of the first innings on Day 2, hitting off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha for back-to-back fours. His innings of 63 ended on the first ball of the second session.
Where do other Indian wicketkeepers rank in away Test runs?
Among Indian wicketkeepers in away Tests, MS Dhoni is now second behind Pant, followed by Farokh Engineer (1,209 runs) and Syed Kirmani (1,109 runs).
