Rishabh Pant Becomes Only The 2nd Wicket-Keeper After MS Dhoni To Don The Test Captaincy Hat

Injury hit Shubman Gill being ruled out of the 2nd India vs South Africa Test elevated his deputy Rishabh Pant to skipper the Indian team against the Proteas at Guwahati.

Rishabh Pant achieved a rare feat as he became only the 2nd Indian wicketkeeper batter to don the Test captaincy hat after the legendary MS Dhoni..

Ever since Indian cricket's inception into Test history in 1932, Bharat had some of the finest glovesmen to don the wicket-keeping duties behind the stumps, but only MSD had captained India before Pant. 

From Farokh Engineer to Syed Kirmani to Kiran More to Nayan Mongia to MS Dhoni; every passing decade had a prominent stumper serving Indian cricket with distinction. It was only MSD who led India in Test cricket before Pant achieved the feat.

Dhoni led India in 60 Tests; winning 27 matches; drawing 15 games and losing 18 encounters between 2008 and 2014. Under MSD’s astute captaincy, India had a dominant run on home soil and rose to the No.1 rankings in the purist format.

Pant's name will stand tall among the 38 skippers to have led India in Test cricket. The swashbuckling wicket-keeper batter also became the first glovesman to lead India in the World Test Championships. 

Pant has led India in 5 T20Is. His captaincy feats include leading Delhi in First Class and List A Cricket (Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy) and skippering Delhi Daredevils and Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.

Pant also became the 35th wicket-keeper batter to lead a Test team in international cricket..

Among wicket keepers to skipper Test teams, only MS Dhoni ( India - 60 Tests), Mushfiqur Rahim ( Bangladesh - 28 Test) and Tim Paine ( Australia -21)  had long stints as Test captain.. 

WICKET KEEPERS TO CAPTAIN IN TEST CRICKET

Min Qualification – 10 Tests

Note – Eminent wicket keepers – Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Jos Butler (Eng) , AB De Villiers (SA), Adam Gilchrist (Aus) have led their teams in ODIs and not Test

Opinion by @GautamLalotra