Rishabh Pant aims to surpass MS Dhoni's record in the T20I series against West Indies

The Men in Blue are all set to lock horns with the 2016 World Twenty20 champions in a three-match Twenty20 International series starting in Hyderabad from December 06. This series will be crucial for India as they aim to plug in a few holes in their squad as part of the preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, next October. This will be an even more crucial series for Rishabh Pant.

The swashbuckling left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman is going through an extended slump in his form with both bats as well as with the gloves. However, Pant could be in for a piece of history with the gloves. The southpaw will have a chance to leapfrog MS Dhoni’s record of most dismissals affected by a keeper in India-West Indies T20Is. While the former Indian captain leads the list with five dismissals from seven games, Pant has three to his credit from seven matches.

Speaking about the list for most dismissals by a keeper in an India-West Indies T20I rubber, apart from Dhoni and Pant, Dinesh Ramdin has affected five dismissals followed by Andre Fletcher (4) and Dinesh Karthik (3).

Rishabh Pant has been coping criticism from all corners for his poor form with the bat as well as gloves

Meanwhile, Pant came under intense scrutiny not only for his slow batting but also for his keeping exploits behind the wickets and also his poor decision making as far as taking calls for the Decision Review System was concerned. Pant is in desperate need of a good series, both in front as well as behind the wickets, and will hope to finally turn around his fortunes, as Sanju Samson continues to breathe down his neck.

Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman had also signaled a warning to the misfiring Pant when he said that the southpaw needs to make use of his chances or else Sanju Samson will leapfrog him. Pant will have his opportunity to shrug off all the criticism and turn around his fortunes in the upcoming series against the West Indies.