India’s Test team captain Rishabh Pant has been included in the 15-member squad for the upcoming series against South Africa, as announced by the BCCI on Wednesday. Pant had been sidelined due to an injury sustained during the England tour but made a comeback in the India A vs South Africa A series.
During the first India A vs South Africa A match, Pant, the 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, showcased his skills as captain, leading the team to victory. His injury occurred in the Manchester Test when he was struck on the foot by a delivery from Chris Woakes. Following his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Pant is set to resume his role as deputy to Shubman Gill, with Dhruv Jurel serving as the second-choice wicketkeeper in the squad. Axar Patel returns to the Test team in place of Prasidh Krishna.
Axar, who last played a Test match in 2024, is expected to provide support to Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in the squad. Akash Deep is also making a comeback to the Test team after missing the West Indies series. South Africa, coming off a 1-1 draw in Pakistan, will bolster their squad with the return of Temba Bavuma for the series against India.
The series will kick off with the first Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata from November 14 to 18, followed by the second match in Guwahati from November 22 to 26. Subsequently, a three-match ODI series and five T20Is will take place.
India’s Test squad for the South Africa series includes Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain and Wicketkeeper), 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, and Akash Deep.