Rishabh Pant vs Shubman Gill: India’s Top WTC Run Scorers
Rishabh Pant has once again moved to the top of an important batting list for India. His 66 off 69 balls in the second innings of the Galle Test against Sri Lanka took his World Test Championship tally to 2,885 runs, helping him move past Shubman Gill, who now has 2,867 runs.
The difference between the two batters is just 18 runs, which shows how close Pant and Gill have been during their WTC careers. Both players have appeared in 41 WTC matches, although Pant has scored his runs in 73 innings while Gill has needed 75 innings to reach his current total.
Pant’s Galle performance also produced another major milestone in his Test career. His two sixes in the second innings took his Test six count to 100, making him the first Indian batter and only the fourth player overall to reach the mark.
The Galle Test therefore added two major numbers to Pant’s career record. He moved to the top of India’s WTC run charts and also joined the exclusive 100-Test-six club, making the match one of the most statistically significant of his career.
Rishabh Pant vs Shubman Gill: India’s Top WTC Run-Scorers
Pant’s latest innings have pushed him to the top of India’s World Test Championship run charts. His 2,885 runs now place him 18 runs ahead of Gill, while the rest of India’s top seven are also packed with some of the country’s biggest Test names.
| Rank | Player | WTC Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rishabh Pant | 2,885 |
| 2 | Shubman Gill | 2,867 |
| 3 | Rohit Sharma | 2,716 |
| 4 | Ravindra Jadeja | 2,632 |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | 2,617 |
| 6 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 2,543 |
| 7 | KL Rahul | 2,265 |
Pant’s WTC record includes six centuries and 17 fifties, while his best score is 146 and his average stands at 41.81 according to the figures from the Galle match. Gill’s WTC numbers have been built through his role as a top-order batter, where he has regularly faced the new ball and spent long periods at the crease.
The small gap between the two is particularly interesting because their batting roles are different. Gill usually comes into bat much earlier, while Pant has often played as a wicketkeeper-batter in the middle order and has still managed to build a huge run tally.
Rishabh Pant’s 100 Test Sixes
Pant entered the Galle Test with 97 Test sixes and added one in the first innings. He then hit two more in the second innings, reaching exactly 100 Test sixes during his 66-run knock.
His 100th six came against Lahiru Kumara and also took Pant to his half-century from just 53 balls. The moment summed up the style that has made him one of the most attacking Test batters of his generation.
Pant is now the first Indian batter to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket and only the fourth player overall to reach the landmark. His record is especially striking because he has reached it while playing a major part of his career as a wicketkeeper.
The number also gives a clear picture of how Pant approaches Test cricket. He is not simply looking to survive long periods in the middle, as his game is often built around attacking the bowler and changing the pace of an innings.
Rishabh Pant’s Test Career
Pant’s Test career has been one of the strongest parts of his international record. His attacking style, ability to score quickly and work behind the stumps have made him an important part of India’s Test setup.
Before the Galle match, Pant had scored 3,476 Test runs, with eight centuries and 18 fifties. His twin scores of 39 and 66 in Galle took his career total to 3,581 Test runs, while his highest score remains 159.
One of Pant’s biggest strengths in Test cricket has been his ability to score runs in different conditions. He has produced important innings in Australia, England, South Africa and India, showing that his aggressive style is not limited to one type of pitch.
His performance in Australia’s famous Gabba Test is among the best-known examples. Pant scored 89 not out in the fourth innings as India chased down the target and won the Test series, while his performances in England and South Africa also added to his Test record.
Pant’s Test numbers also stand out because of his strike rate. He has often scored at a pace more common in limited-overs cricket, which means that his contribution has not always been measured only by the total number of runs.
Rishabh Pant’s Career Stats
The table below gives a simple overview of Pant’s career across the main formats. His Test figures include the 39 and 66 scored in the Galle Test.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 50* | 3,581* | 159 | ~43 | 8 | 18 |
| ODI | 31 | 871 | 125 | 33.50 | 1 | 5 |
| T20I | 76 | 1,209 | 65 | 23.25 | 0 | 3 |
| IPL | 139 | 3,865 | 128* | 33.61 | 2 | 20 |
*Pant’s Test figures were updated after his two innings in Galle, and the exact match count can vary during an ongoing Test match. The key number from the match is his updated career total of 3,581 Test runs.
Shubman Gill’s Test Career
Shubman Gill has taken a different route in Test cricket, although his numbers have now brought him very close to Pant. The right-hander generally bats in the top order and has built his reputation around timing, shot selection and the ability to play long innings.
Gill made his Test debut during India’s 2020-21 tour of Australia and quickly showed that he could handle a high-quality bowling attack. His 91 at the Gabba during that series became one of the early highlights of his international career.
Since then, Gill has developed into one of India’s leading Test batters. He has already scored 10 Test centuries and eight fifties, while his highest score stands at 269.
His Test career has also included several big partnerships and long innings. Unlike Pant, Gill generally takes more time to settle before increasing the scoring rate, which gives him a different role in the Indian batting order.
That difference in style is visible in their career numbers. Pant has been more aggressive and has hit far more sixes, while Gill has built a larger share of his runs through conventional strokeplay and long stays at the crease.
Shubman Gill’s Career Stats
Gill’s overall career shows particularly strong numbers in ODI cricket and the IPL. His Test numbers have also grown quickly, with the Galle match taking his WTC total to 2,867 runs.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 41* | 2,867* | 269 | ~43 | 10 | 8 |
| ODI | 61 | 2,953 | 208 | 55.71 | 8 | 17 |
| T20I | 36 | 869 | 126 | ~28 | 1 | 3 |
| IPL | 134 | 4,598 | 129 | 40.33 | 5 | 32 |
*The Test figures include Gill’s 16 and 8 from the Galle Test.
Pant vs Gill: A Look at Their Numbers
The career records of Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill show two very different types of batters. Pant has built his reputation around attacking cricket, while Gill has generally relied on timing, control and long innings.
Pant’s biggest statistical strength is Test cricket. His 100 Test sixes, more than 3,500 Test runs and strong record in different conditions show why his red-ball numbers have become such an important part of his career.
Gill’s strongest numbers come in ODI cricket and the IPL. His 55.71 ODI average, 2,953 ODI runs and 4,598 IPL runs stand out, while his five IPL centuries also put him ahead of Pant in that competition.
The WTC race, however, is much closer. Pant now has 2,885 WTC runs, while Gill has 2,867, leaving just 18 runs between them after the Galle Test.
That gap became possible because Pant scored 39 and 66 in the match, while Gill made only 16 and 8. A small difference in one Test was enough to change the order at the top of India’s WTC run charts.
Pant’s Galle Test Added Two Major Milestones
Pant’s performance in Galle can be described through two simple numbers: 2,885 and 100. The first is his new WTC run total, and the second is his Test six count.
His 66 off 69 balls in the second innings was another attacking contribution from a batter who has built much of his Test career around scoring quickly. The innings included two sixes, with the second one completing his 100th Test maximum.
Gill’s Galle Test was much quieter, with scores of 16 and 8. Despite that, his overall WTC numbers remain extremely close to Pant’s, with only 18 runs separating the pair.
Joe Root Remains at the Top of the Overall WTC Charts
While Pant has moved to No. 1 among Indian batters in the World Test Championship, England’s Joe Root remains the leading run-scorer in the overall WTC charts. Root has amassed 6,651 runs in 77 WTC matches, placing him well clear of the rest of the field.
Pant’s 2,885 runs put him at the top of the Indian list, while Gill’s 2,867 keeps him close behind. Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul complete India’s top seven WTC run-scorers.
Rishabh Pant’s latest achievement is best understood by looking at all the numbers together. He has now reached 2,885 WTC runs, 3,581 Test runs and 100 Test sixes, while also carrying a strong record in the IPL and a growing white-ball career.
Shubman Gill, meanwhile, has built a strong record of his own. His 2,867 WTC runs, 2,953 ODI runs and 4,598 IPL runs show how quickly he has become one of India’s leading batters across formats.
The two players may have different styles, but the statistics show just how close they are in Test cricket. After the Galle Test, Rishabh Pant leads Shubman Gill by 18 runs in India’s World Test Championship run charts, 2,885 to 2,867, while his 100 Test sixes have added another major number to his career record.
