MS Dhoni or Rishabh Pant? Aakash Chopra picks India's best wicket-keeper batter in test cricket

Aakash Chopra compared MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant’s stats to pick India’s best wicket-keeper batter in test cricket.

Reputed cricket commentator Aakash Chopra has revealed his choice as best wicket-keeper batter of India in test cricket between MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant. The 47-year-old compared the stats of both players in the longest format of the game to name his favourite.

During the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, Pant grabbed a lot of limelight with his incredible batting show. The left-handed batsman mustered 479 runs in seven innings across four tests at an average of 68.43, hammering two centuries and three half-centuries.

In the opening game at Headingley, Leeds, Pant became the first Indian batsman to score twin centuries in a test match in England. Smashing his eighth test ton during the series, he broke Dhoni’s (6) record for most test centuries by an Indian wicket-keeper.

Aakash Chopra picks Rishabh Pant as best wicket-keeper batter for India in tests

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted Dhoni and Pant’s batting records in tests. He noted how Pant has been more effective with the bat in the last few years and has leapfrogged the former Indian skipper for the record of test centuries.

“MS Dhoni is at the top in terms of the number of matches played and runs scored. He has played 90 games, 144 innings, scored 4876 runs at an average of 38.09, and has six centuries to his name. Rishabh Pant has struck six centuries in the last five years,” he said.

“If we look at it overall, Rishabh Pant has already scored eight centuries and MS Dhoni had six centuries. Rishabh Pant is already in the second spot (in terms of number of runs). He is 1400 runs behind MS Dhoni and has played nearly half the games. If he plays more, he will obviously go ahead of MS Dhoni,” he added.

Furthermore, Chopra also heaped praise on Pant for becoming the first wicket-keeper batter to reach the mark of 1000 test runs in England.

“If we see the most runs by a wicketkeeper in England, he is the only guy who has scored 1000 runs in England. He has struck four centuries and five half-centuries. He has scored more than 1000 runs in 13 matches and 24 innings,” he added.

Notably, Pant made his test debut in August 2018 and has played 47 matches so far. At a brilliant average of 44.51, the left-handed batsman has amassed 3427 runs across 82 innings. The wicket-keeper batter has smacked eight centuries and 18 half-centuries.

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