Pant Returns to Score 63, Breaks Dhoni and Gilchrist Records

Rishabh Pant retired hurt with a left-arm injury during the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on August 23, 2026, but returned the following morning to score a resilient 63, surpassing MS Dhoni's record for most Test runs by an Indian wicketkeeper in away and neutral matches and breaking Adam Gilchrist's record for most sixes by a designated wicketkeeper in Test cricket.

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat first in the match, which is part of a two-series contest that India leads 1-0 after a 165-run victory in Galle. Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal were dismissed in the first session, but Gill and no. 3 Devdutt Padikkal steadied the innings with a 120-run partnership for the third wicket. Gill made a fifty before falling just before tea, while Padikkal reached the interval unbeaten on 63, having been dropped on 1. India posted 187 for three at the break.

During the third session, Pant was struck on his left arm or wrist by a short delivery from pacer Lahiru Kumara. The wicketkeeper-batter, who had made three runs from 15 balls, showed immediate discomfort. Team physiotherapists attended to him,...