Pant’s 100 sixes is a spectacular signature on Test cricket

By K.R. Nayar 

It is indeed a remarkable feat for Rishabh Pant to have hit 100 sixes in Test cricket. He became the first Indian to reach that milestone on August 18, 2026, at Galle, during the fourth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka. The enormity of his achievement lies in the fact that he is only the fourth batter in Test history to reach the magical three-figure mark. Pant now stands alongside the legendary Adam Gilchrist with 100 sixes, while Ben Stokes leads the list with 138, followed by Brendon McCullum with 107.

But there is an even more astonishing dimension to Pant’s achievement. He has reached 100 sixes in only 51 Tests — 31 Tests fewer than Stokes took to reach the landmark. Stokes achieved it in 82 Tests. Pant has taken the express route to a record that was expected to require years of sustained six-hitting.

Pant reaching this milestone is a reflection of his batting philosophy. Among Indians, Virender Sehwag, who is next on the list with 91 sixes, followed the same philosophy of “see the ball and hit the ball” in all formats of the game. Rohit Sharma, with 88 Test sixes, too has the same thinking. But Pant has a special relationship with six-hitting.

In Test cricket, sixes do not happen as frequently as they do in the limited-overs versions. So, when sixes are hit in Test cricket, they change the entire mood of a Test match. This is why Pant’s six-hitting is considered extraordinary.

Watch Pant closely and one can see that his ability to clear the boundary comes from his hand speed, powerful wrists, swing of the bat and remarkable balance. Above all, he has the courage to play those shots despite the fact that Test batting manuals never demand them.

Pant’s movement of the feet is a beauty, and the manner in which he gets underneath the ball to use the bowler’s pace is a treat to watch. He does not consider that the shot he plays can be too risky. It can be termed madness, but that madness thrills.

Very rarely in Test cricket does a bowler who bowls slightly short or slightly full get hit for a six, but Pant does it often. What matters to him is whether the bowler has pitched the ball in an area where he loves to hit.  His wrists and forearms whip the ball with astonishing speed. 

Pant is never concerned about using his feet. He can charge at a spinner and loft the ball over the infield. One can also see him often go down on one knee and launch the ball into the stands. He likes to send the ball exactly where he expects it to land. This is one reason why, when Pant is batting, one gets the feeling that he has converted the crease into a launch pad.

Very rarely in Tests do bowlers think that their delivery might be hit for a six right away. In fact, Pant’s first scoring shot in Test cricket was a six. In Test cricket, aggressive batting used to be witnessed mostly during the closing stages of a match, particularly when teams are racing against time to produce a result. Pant showed that aggressive hits could be played at any time of a Test match.

Today, the pace of scoring in Test cricket has also undergone transformation. Teams need batters like Pant who can disturb field placements and test the thinking skills of a captain. It was Gilchrist who showed the way by revolutionising the role of the wicketkeeper-batter. He showed that a Test wicketkeeper could also wear the mantle of a devastating attacking batter. What Pant has now done is to carry that philosophy into a new generation with his own extraordinary improvisational style.

Pant’s style is what has helped him race past Sehwag and Sharma — India’s celebrated power hitters. The question now is: how much higher can he climb? He reached his 100th six and celebrated the landmark with another rapid half-century when India needed quick runs.

Pant can proudly say that his signature stroke is a six. He seems to believe that the boundary ropes and the stands are an invitation to hit them. Very soon he may even hit Stokes’ record for highest number of sixes for a six.