Big announcement from the BCCI today about the South Africa Tests. Rishabh Pant is finally back after staying out for months. Fans have been waiting to see him in action again.
The squad was announced on November 5 for the upcoming series. Two Test matches will decide a lot in the championship race. India currently stands third and South Africa sits at fifth position.
Pant’s Long-Awaited Return to Test Cricket
Rishabh Pant missed quite a few matches because of injury troubles. His foot got fractured during an England game back in July. Since then, he’s been recovering and working on his fitness.
The Indian Test squad for South Africa has now picked Pant in the place of N Jagadeesan. He recently played for India A and looked really sharp out there. His 90-run knock against South Africa A caught everyone’s attention quickly.
That performance told selectors he’s ready to go again. Ajit Agarkar and the team clearly believe in him now.
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India’s Squad for South Africa Series:
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
When and Where the Matches Happen
Kolkata gets the first Test starting November 14. The second match goes to Guwahati, which is making Test history. It’s the first time Guwahati will host a Test game.
Captain Shubman Gill is busy with T20Is in Australia right now. Several other players are there too and will fly back later. The BCCI has juggled the schedule to manage everyone’s workload properly.
They let Kuldeep Yadav leave the T20 series early for preparation. He needs time to switch his mindset from T20s to Tests. Smart move by the selectors to keep him fresh.
Also Read: Agarkar Removed Rohit and Virat from SA Series
Why This Squad Matters Right Now
The Indian Test squad for South Africa looks pretty solid with Pant back. His aggressive style adds something special to the batting order. The BCCI picked this team keeping the World Test Championship in mind.
Rishabh Pant brings the energy that India really needs in these crucial games. Two wins here could push India much higher in the standings.
