Pant to lead India ‘A’ in four-day matches against South Africa ‘A”

Mumbai: Rishabh Pant is set to return to competitive cricket after a long injury layoff, as the BCCI Selection Committee has named the wicketkeeper-batter captain of the India A squad for the two four-day matches against South Africa.

The two four-day games will be played from October 30 to November 9 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Pant fractured the metatarsal in his right foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in late July, after inside-edging a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes. He was forced to retire hurt on 37, with scans later confirming a fracture.

Since then, the lengthy recovery period caused Pant to miss Asia Cup, two-match Test series against the West Indies, which concluded earlier this month in India, as well as the ongoing white-ball tour of Australia down under.

Pant, who was sidelined for three months with a fractured foot, was expected to make his return to competitive cricket for Delhi in the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy after he began his batting sessions in the CoE nets earlier this month. But there was no mention of the wicketkeeper-batter in Ayush Badoni-led Delhi squad, as he was completing his rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

Pant, India’s vice-captain in Tests, scored 479 runs in seven innings at a remarkable average of 68.42 during the tour of England, including two brilliant centuries in the series opener at Headingley, Leeds.

India A squad for the 1st four-day match: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Ayush Mhatre, N Jagdeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), 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 (C) (WK), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.

IANS