Rishabh Pant Named IND-A Captain For 2025 Test vs SA-A

Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is set to return to competitive cricket as captain of the India ‘A’ side in the two four-day matches against South Africa A in Bengaluru. The BCCI announced the squad for both games on Tuesday, October 21, with regular players set to miss the first match.

Pant has been sidelined since suffering a serious foot injury during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July. He also missed the recent two-Test series against the West Indies at home, with Dhruv Jurel stepping in and performing impressively as wicketkeeper. Despite this, Pant remains India’s first-choice keeper in Tests.

B Sai Sudharsan will act as vice-captain for both fixtures. Test regulars including KL Rahul, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, and Mohammed Siraj are set to join the squad for the second four-day match.

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.

The opening four-day match starts on October 30, with the second scheduled to begin on November 6.

India To Host South Africa For Two-Test Series Starting November 14

The two four-day fixtures will serve as preparatory games ahead of the upcoming Test series against South Africa. The opening Test will take place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata from November 14 to 18, followed by the second Test in Guwahati from November 22 to 26.

South Africa is presently touring Pakistan for a two-Test series, having lost the first Test in Lahore by 93 runs.