Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is probably getting the last chance to prove himself in the upcoming T20I series and ODI series against West Indies. Also, he would have the chance to surpass the record of MS Dhoni in respect to no. of dismissals against the West Indies in the T20I series.
Rishabh Pant’s one mistake in the home series can cost him as Sanju Samson can replace him. The youngster has already lost his place in the longest format to Wriddhiman Saha who has showcased the classic performances through his glove. So, the last two home series of 2019 are going to be crucial for the player to earn his place in the senior team for the T20 World Cup next year.
Rishabh Pant is near to break the record of MS Dhoni
The wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni is in a sabbatical break from the cricket which has given the 22-year-old Rishabh Pant the chance to create an impact in the team. Rishabh Pant can break the record of MS Dhoni in the three-match T20I series against Caribbeans. In the seven T20I matches against West Indies, Dhoni tops the list with five dismissals while Pant has three dismissals in his name. Pant has an opportunity to overpass Dhoni as he is likely to feature in this series.
List of the wicketkeepers with no. of T20I dismissals between India and West Indies
| Serial no. | Player (Team) | Wickets |
| 1 | MS Dhoni (India) | 5 |
| 2 | Denesh Ramdin (West Indies) | 5 |
| 3 | Andre Fletcher (Windies) | 3 |
| 4 | Dinesh Karthik (India) | 3 |
| 5 | Rishabh Pant (India) | 3 |
After Dhoni has taken a break, Rishabh Pant has always been criticised for his wrong moves. In the Bangladesh series, he showed poor glovework and was also not impactful with the bat. He just scored 33 runs in the three-match T20I series. Earlier, MSK Prasad has opined that Rishabh Pant should not try to copy Dhoni. He said that Pant should not compare himself with the experienced Indian cricketer.
Rishabh Pant has played 23 T20Is since his debut while his best game against the West Indies when India earlier toured the Caribbean land. He scored the match-winning unbeaten 65 runs in the Providence T20I.