Rishabh Pant has made a comeback to the India squad for the opening test against Bangladesh
India have recalled Rishabh Pant to the Test squad for the opening match of the two-game home series against Bangladesh, beginning on September 19 in Chennai.
This is Pant’s first inclusion in the red-ball side since his severe accident in December 2022.
After a prolonged and challenging recovery, Pant made an impressive return in the IPL, scoring 446 runs in 13 matches, before being selected for India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign.
He also featured in an ODI against Sri Lanka and recently played in the Duleep Trophy opener.
Having last played a Test just before his accident, Pant returns at the onset of the Indian home summer, with Dhruv Jurel also named as a wicketkeeper in the squad.
India squad for first Test:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Rohit Sharma (Captain) |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal |
| Shubman Gill |
| Virat Kohli |
| KL Rahul |
| Sarfaraz Khan |
| Rishabh Pant (WK) |
| Dhruv Jurel (WK) |
| R. Ashwin |
| Ravindra Jadeja |
| Axar Patel |
| Kuldeep Yadav |
| Mohammed Siraj |
| Akash Deep |
| Jasprit Bumrah |
| Yash Dayal |
Meanwhile, Bengal pacer Akash Deep earned the spot as the third seamer in the squad, joining Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Akash, who made his Test debut against England earlier this year in Ranchi, impressed during the Duleep Trophy with India A, taking nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul.
While Mukesh Kumar, who has three Test caps, missed out, uncapped left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal was included in the 16-member squad.
Along with Mukesh, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, and KS Bharat were also dropped after featuring in the series against England.
In the middle order, KL Rahul returns, accompanied by Sarfaraz Khan, who impressed in his debut series against England with three fifties in six innings.
Rahul missed four of the five Tests against England—India’s last red-ball assignment—due to a quadriceps injury.
As expected, India will rely on their spin quartet of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav.
Following the series opener in Chennai, the teams will head to Kanpur for the second Test from September 27.
The tour will conclude with three T20Is between October 6 and 12.
Leave a Reply