Rishabh Pant last played a Test match for India in December 2022. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Pant last played a Test match for India against Bangladesh in Mirpur on December 25, 2022, and scored 93 and 9 runs in two innings.
Star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is all set to return in the Indian Test team for the upcoming two-match series against Bangladesh, which will start on September 19 in Chennai. According to a report in Cricbuzz, Pant, who last played a Test match for India in December 2022 against Bangladesh, will be part of the squad picked by the BCCI selectors on Monday (September 9). In addition to him, Virat Kohli will also return for the two red-ball matches. The former Indian captain had missed the five-match Test series against England earlier this year due to the birth of his second child.
India’s last played a Test match against England in March at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala and managed to win it comfortably by an innings margin. It has been reported that India is unlikely to make many changes to the team that played the last Test against England.
Jasprit Bumrah is all set to lead the pace attack along with Mohammed Siraj, and Bengal pacer Akash Deep, who picked up nine wickets in the Duleep Trophy 2024 match between India A and B in Bengaluru, is expected to be the third pacer.
Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel will all be picked for the home series. And in batting, apart from Rohit, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan are set to be selected in addition to second wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel.
KL Rahul, who missed the last four Tests for India against England due to injury, is also likely to get a chance.
But Sarfaraz Khan’s brother, Musheer Khan, who scored 181 runs for India B in Bengaluru, will have to wait for his opportunity. The selectors are likely to field him in India A before considering him for the senior international team.
The selected players will be asked to assemble in Chennai on September 12 for the preparation camp.
India’s likely squad for Test series against Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep