Rishabh Pant makes his return to the Indian squad

India has called Rishabh Pant back to the Test squad for the opening match of the two-Test series against Bangladesh, which begins on September 19 in Chennai. This will be Pant’s first return to the red-ball format since his severe accident in December 2022.

After a challenging period of rehabilitation, Pant made a notable return during the IPL, scoring 446 runs in 13 matches, and was subsequently selected for the marquee T20 World Cup squad. He also featured in an ODI in Sri Lanka and participated in the recent Duleep Trophy opener. Having last appeared in a Test just before his accident, Pant is now making his return at the beginning of the Indian home season, with Dhruv Jurel also included as the other wicketkeeper in the squad.

India squad for the first Test:

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.

Meanwhile, Bengal pacer Akash Deep secured the role of the third seamer in the squad, joining Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Akash, who debuted in Test cricket against England in Ranchi earlier this year, delivered a strong performance for India A in the Duleep Trophy, claiming nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul. However, despite having three Test caps, Mukesh Kumar did not make the squad, while uncapped fast bowler Yash Dayal was named in the 16-man team.

In the middle order, India added KL Rahul back into the squad, joined by Sarfaraz Khan, who impressed during his debut series against England. Rahul was sidelined for four of the five Tests in that series due to a quadriceps injury. Apart from that, India’s spin options include the quartet of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav.

Following the opening Test in Chennai, the teams will travel to Kanpur for the second Test starting September 27. After the Test series, they will face off in three T20Is from October 6 to 12.