Rishabh Pant's top 5 records where he bettered his predecessor MS Dhoni

Former India captain MS Dhoni has enjoyed a stellar international cricket career since bursting onto the scene in 2005. In a career spanning over 13 years, Dhoni has set numerous records or his astute keeping behind the wickets, along with leading India to major honours. While the CSK captain is yet to retire from limited-overs cricket, Dhoni famously hung his boots midway through India's tour of Australia in 2013/14. Replacing MS Dhoni is a herculean task and anyone who will replace him will be heavily scrutinised have an unwarranted weight of expectations, something Rishabh Pant can testify for. 

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Five Rishabh Pant records that can never be surpassed by CSK captain MS Dhoni 

Delhi's swashbuckling wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has been long named as MS Dhoni's successor in the Indian cricket team. While the 22-year-old has failed to make the most of his chances in the limited-overs format, Pant has established himself capable of producing when it matters in the longest format of the game. The young Delhi batsman has had his own share of success in limited opportunities he has got with the Indian team, so far and made his mark with key performances overseas. Here are some of Rishabh Pant records that won't be achieved his predecessor, who retired in 2014. 

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1. Opening Test cricket account with a six

Rishabh Pant's approach to batting resembles that of former India opener Virender Sehwag and it comes as no surprise that Delhi batsman opened his account in Test cricket with a six. Selected in India's 2018 tour of England, Pant was named on the bench for the first two Tests before being drafted into the side in the third Test. After carefully seeing off his first ball in Test cricket, Rishabh Pant danced down the track and clobbered Adil Rashid straight down the ground for a maximum. The let-hander thus became the first Indian, and 12th overall batsman, to open his Test account with a six. 

2. Test Century in England

Team India had their backs against the wall in the fifth Test on their 2018 tour of England, with centuries from Sir Alastair Cook and Joe Root, setting a target of 464 runs for the visitors. India were in all sorts of trouble when Rishabh Pant walked into bat, but the Delhi man, along with KL Rahul stitched a valuable partnership. While Pant's century did not help India save the match, he became the second-youngest wicketkeeper and the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a Test century in England. MS Dhoni had never scored a century in England, with his best effort being 92 in the first innings at The Oval in 2007. 

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3. Most catches in a Test

After his heroics in the England tour, Rishabh Pant continued his stellar rise on the tour of Australia later that year. In the first Test Down Under, Pant caught Mitchell Starc behind the stumps in the second innings to complete a staggering 11 catches in the first Test. While the Delhi Capitals star couldn't contribute much with the bat, he made it up with his brilliant wicketkeeping, helping India to a 31-run win. At just 21, Pant equalled the record previously held only by England's Jack Russell and South Africa's AB de Villiers for the most number of catches taken by a wicketkeeper in a single Test match. 

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4. Test Century in Australia

Rishabh Pant hit the Australian bowling attack to all parts of the ground in the fourth and final Test of the series. The left-hander scored a scintillating century, stitching a key partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara, to score an unbeaten 159 in the first innings. Pant's innings played a key role in powering India to a mammoth first-innings total of 622 runs, it also made him the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a Test hundred on the Australian soil. The previous highest score by an Indian down under was Farokh Engineer's 89 at Adelaide in 1967. Dhoni's highest Test score in Australia remains unbeaten 57 he scored in the first innings during the second Test at Sydney in 2012.

5. Fastest to 50 dismissals 

Rishabh Pant etched his name in the record books during India's tour of the West Indies in 2019. On the third day of the second Test at Kingston, Pant caught Kraigg Brathwaite behind the stumps off Ishant Sharma's bowling. While the wicket was key early blow for the visitors, it was also the 50th wicketkeeping dismissal for Pant in Test cricket. The youngster achieved the record in just 11 Test matches to become the fastest Indian wicketkeeper to achieve 50 Test dismissals, a feat that Dhoni had achieved in 15 games.

(Image Courtesy: Rishabh Pant Instagram)