Rishabh Pant is set to return to India’s Test squad for the two-match series against South Africa beginning on November 14 in Kolkata. The wicketkeeper-batter had previously suffered a foot fracture during the England test tour that led him to miss the Asia Cup, West Indies Tests, and the Australia series.
Pant’s return to the Test squad follows India A’s victory in the first four-day game against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru last week. Pant, who served as India A’s captain at the time, played a commanding role in leading India to victory.
The wicketkeeper-batter made 90 runs in the second innings to help India A chased down a target of 275. Pant will be returning to his vice-captaincy duty for the South Africa Test with Shubman Gill leading the charge.
India’s Test captain Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are currently playing the T20I series in Australia, and will join the Test squad after the five-match series ends on November 8.
India will play two Tests against South Africa in November. Set in Kolkata, the first fixture between both the sides will take place on November 14 which will be followed by a second game in Guwahati on November 14. India currently ranks third in the World Test Championship table with 61.90% points. South Africa on the other hand ranks fifth with 50% points, having most recently drawn a series 1-1 in Pakistan.
South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma is also set to make his return to the Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against India next month having recovered from a calf injury that sidelined him during the recent Pakistan tour.
The two-Test series between India and South Africa is highly important for both teams, as it will significantly impact their positions in the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings. As the champions of the last WTC cycle, South Africa will want to prove their mettle and continue their strong form. A series win against a formidable opponent like India could push the Proteas higher on the points table to rank 4.
Similarly for India, securing a series win against a quality opponent at home can bolster the national side’s chances of booking a spot in the WTC final.
Meet Team India
India Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep