Rishabh Pant is all set to make his long-awaited return to competitive cricket, and fans couldn’t be happier. The star wicketkeeper-batter, who suffered a serious foot injury during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July, has now fully recovered. In a big boost for Indian cricket, Pant will captain India A in their upcoming four-day matches against South Africa A, starting October 30. These matches will act as a curtain-raiser to the main Test series between India and South Africa, scheduled to begin on November 14.
Pant will take charge of two different squads across the two games. The first match, to be played at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, will feature players like Sai Sudharsan, N Jagdeesan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Rajat Patidar. The second match, starting November 6 at the same venue, will see a stronger lineup with KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Akash Deep joining in. These players are expected to get some red-ball practice before the senior men’s team returns from their limited-overs assignment in Australia. After the two four-day fixtures, the attention will shift to the ODI series against South Africa, with matches set for November 13, 16, and 19 in Rajkot.
Pant’s road to recovery has been anything but easy. After being hit on the foot by a Chris Woakes yorker, he was taken off the field in an ambulance. Despite the fracture, he bravely came back to bat and scored a fighting half-century that gave India a competitive total. Unfortunately, the injury kept him out of action for months, forcing him to miss the series decider against England, the Asia Cup, the two-Test series against West Indies, and India’s ongoing tour of Australia. His comeback now puts him in contention for the upcoming home Tests against South Africa.
Throughout his recovery period, Pant often shared his frustration on social media, posting updates about his rehabilitation and the challenges he faced. However, under the careful guidance of the BCCI’s medical team, his determination and patience have paid off. India will now be hoping that Pant can quickly find his rhythm and continue his strong form from the England series, where he struck centuries in both innings at Headingley and followed it up with consistent fifties in the remaining Tests.
India A squad for the 1st four-day match: Rishabh Pant (Captain & WK), Ayush Mhatre, N Jagdeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan (Vice-Captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain.
India A squad for the 2nd four-day match: Rishabh Pant (Captain & WK), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sai Sudharsan (Vice-Captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
