OTD: Rishabh Pant was born in 1997

It was on this day, October 4, in 1997, when Rishabh Pant was born in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, to Rajendra and Saroj Pant. He used to travel to Delhi with his mother to train at the famous Sonnet Cricket Academy run by Tarak Sinha.

He began his cricketing journey in U19 for Delhi and was named in India’s squad for the 2016 U19 World Cup, which was led by Ishan Kishan. Unfortunately for Pant, his father passed away due to a massive cardiac arrest in 2017. He made his first-class debut for Delhi in 2015.

Pant was picked by Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) in IPL 2016 and made his mark with one of the fastest centuries in IPL 2017, and he remained with the franchise till IPL 2024. Thanks to his exploits with the bat, Pant made his India white-ball debut in 2017 in T20Is and made his Test and ODI debut in 2018.

Since then, he has been the leading wicketkeeper-batter for India and also the current Test vice-captain. He has also captained India in T20Is and led the Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants sides in the Indian Premier League.

Pant has 3427 runs at an average of 44.50 in 47 Tests, including eight centuries and 18 fifties, with the best score of 159*. He has also scored 871 runs at an average of 33.50 in 31 ODIs, including one century and five fifties, with the highest score of 125*. In T20Is, he has scored 1209 runs at a strike rate of 127.26 in 76 matches, including three fifties and a best score of 65*.

Pant had played one of the best knocks in Test cricket when his 89* helped India win the Brisbane Test of the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

Pant suffered near-fatal injuries in a car crash in December 2022 and was out of cricket for 18 months before making his return in IPL 2024.

He was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2024. Playing his comeback Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, he went on to score his sixth Test ton and became the first Indian keeper and second keeper overall to score two centuries in the same Test, a feat he achieved against England in the Edgbaston Test in 2025.

He has the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter in Test cricket—8. Pant also has a record of most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a Test match as he took 11 catches in a match against Australia in Adelaide in 2018. 

Pant is also among the few wicketkeepers to have scored over 300 runs and taken 15 or more dismissals in a Test series twice. During the Test series against Australia in 2018-19, the left-hander scored 350 runs and was dismissed 20 times. Apart from that, Pant scored 349 runs and took 18 in five matches against England in 2021-22.

Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.

For more exclusive updates, visit BJSports to access Exclusive News that is only for you, incisive analysis, and updates, and to keep up with all of the latest information on your favorite remarkable cricket playes and teams. To ensure you never miss out, join in on the fun right away!