Why Rishabh Pant is the Most Unluckiest Test Cricketer of the Indian Team?

ByAnupam Pandey,SportsCafe Editor

Today at 1:58 PM

Rishabh Pant is one of India’s finest wicket-keeper batsmen, having played 47 Test matches so far. Surprisingly, only 13 of these were at home, while 34 were overseas.

Why Rishabh Pant is the Most Unluckiest Test Cricketer of the Indian Team.

Rishabh Pant is one of India’s finest wicket-keeper batsmen, having played 47 Test matches so far. Surprisingly, only 13 of these were at home, while 34 were overseas. Despite playing mostly in challenging away conditions, Pant has managed to maintain an impressive batting average of 44.50, proving his talent and resilience for the Indian Test team.

MS Dhoni was a legend, being India’s ultimate wicket-keeper batsman and always there to pull the team out of a hole or steer them to victory in Test matches. When he retired, it felt like the end of an era, and India was left hunting for someone who could fill those massive gloves. Then came Rishabh Pant, a guy who’s either going to play a shot that makes you groan or one that leaves you speechless with awe. Since his Test debut in 2018, , stepping up to bat 82 times and staying not out in 5 of those innings.

Now, here’s the thing, Pant’s spent most of his career slugging it out on foreign pitches, where conditions are brutal. Yet, he’s piled up 3,427 runs at a cracking average of 44.50. His best knock, an unbeaten 159 that screamed, “I’m here to dominate!” With 8 centuries and 18 fifties already, this guy’s career is just getting started, but he’s already a force. Facing 4,621 balls with a strike rate of 74.16, Pant plays with this fearless, almost reckless energy that’s pure joy to watch. And those numbers, they come with 369 fours and 90 sixes, proof he can take any bowler to the cleaners, no matter the pitch.

Rishabh Pant’s Test Career

Matches: 47
Innings: 82
Not Out: 5
Runs: 3,427
Highest Score: 159*
Batting Average: 44.50
Balls Faced: 4,621
Strike Rate: 74.16
Centuries: 8
Half-Centuries: 18

Pant’s been the guy for India in some absolute classics. Think of that epic Gabba chase in 2021, or his gutsy knocks in Sydney (2018), Cape Town (2022), and Edgbaston (2022) and he’s got this knack for shining when the chips are down. But, man, luck hasn’t always been kind to him. On India’s 2025 England tour, a nasty delivery from Chris Woakes smashed his metatarsal in the fourth Test, putting him out of action for at least six weeks. That meant missing the West Indies-India Test series, which stung for fans. And let’s be real, Pant’s had it rough, playing way more games in tough places like England, Australia, and South Africa than comfy home conditions. Fans can’t help but feel he’s been dealt a tough hand.

Rishabh Pant’s Test Career in Home Conditions

When Pant plays at home, it’s like watching a kid in a candy store. Between 2018 and 2024, he’s featured in 13 Tests, batting 21 times and staying not out twice and he’s racked up 1,061 runs, showing he knows how to handle the pressure of home crowds and his best effort in India is a gritty 109, and with an average of 55.84. Pant’s smashed 2 centuries and 9 fifties in these home games, always stepping up when India needs a spark.

Rishabh Pant’s Home Test Numbers:

Matches: 13
Innings: 21
Not Out: 2
Runs: 1,061
Highest Score: 109
Batting Average: 55.84
Balls Faced: 1,181
Strike Rate: 89.83
Centuries: 2
Half-Centuries: 9

Facing 1,181 balls at a strike rate of 89.83, he’s got this perfect mix of attacking flair and knowing when to dig in. Only one duck in all those innings and that’s impressive. And with 124 fours and 34 sixes, he’s not just playing shots as he’s putting on a show and Pant’s home performances have turned games India’s way, making him one of the most exciting young stars in Indian Test cricket.

Rishabh Pant’s Test Career in Away Conditions

If you really want to see Pant at his best, watch him play overseas. That’s where he’s been a game-changer for India, showing guts and talent on the toughest stages and in Australia, from 2018 to 2025, he played 12 Tests, batting 21 times and staying not out twice. He scored 879 runs, with that epic 159 not out as his highlight, averaging a stellar 46.26. With 85 fours and 15 sixes at a strike rate of 67.77, he’s got one century and three fifties, proving he can handle Australia’s fiery bowlers and bouncy pitches.

In England, between 2018 and 2025, Pant played 13 Tests, scoring 1,035 runs in 24 innings. No not-outs here, but an average of 43.12 and a top score of 146 show he’s built for England’s swinging conditions and he’s hammered 115 fours and 28 sixes at a strike rate of 71.13, with 4 centuries and 5 fifties. That’s the kind of batting that silences doubters.

‌(Rishabh Pant scored a century against England in 2025)

In Bangladesh in 2022, Pant played 2 Tests, scoring 148 runs in 3 innings at an average of 49.33. His top score of 93 came at a blazing strike rate of 91.35, with 14 fours and 7 sixes, classic Pant and in South Africa, across 2021 and 2022, he played 3 Tests, scoring 186 runs in 6 innings at an average of 37.20, including an unbeaten century, 18 fours, and 4 sixes. He’s had some tougher tours, though.

In New Zealand in 2020, he managed just 60 runs in 4 innings, averaging 15 and in the West Indies in 2019, he scored 58 runs in 3 innings at 19.33. But those dips don’t define him. Pant’s overseas heroics, especially in Australia, England, and South Africa show why he’s one of India’s bravest and most exciting Test batsmen, ready to take on the world.