Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has made a long-awaited return to India’s Test team for the upcoming two-match home series against South Africa, marking his comeback to international cricket after recovering from a foot injury sustained earlier this year.
Pant had injured his foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July, which ruled him out of the following series against the West Indies. The 26-year-old has since regained full fitness and recently led India A to victory over South Africa A in a four-day match held in Bengaluru, where he scored an impressive 90 runs in the second innings while chasing a target of 275.
In the newly announced 15-member squad, Pant replaces N Jagadeesan and will serve as the vice-captain under the leadership of Shubman Gill. Bengal fast bowler Akash Deep also returns to the Test setup after recovering from a shoulder injury. He re-established his form by representing Bengal in both the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Trophy and is also included in the India A side for the second four-day game against South Africa A, beginning Thursday in Bengaluru.
India’s pace unit for the Test series includes Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, while the spin attack will once again be led by experienced all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, along with Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar. Senior pacer Mohammed Shami has not been selected despite showcasing good form for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, where he took 15 wickets in three matches at an average of 15.53.
The first Test match will be hosted in Kolkata starting November 14, followed by the second in Guwahati from November 22.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has also named the India A squad for the three-match one-day series against South Africa A, scheduled to take place in Rajkot. The India A team will be captained by Tilak Varma, with Ruturaj Gaikwad serving as vice-captain. The squad includes promising young talents such as Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan, Prabhsimran Singh, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Khaleel Ahmed.
Pant’s inclusion in the senior squad signals a strong comeback for the dynamic left-hander as India prepares for a challenging red-ball contest on home soil.
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