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Rishabh Pant Returns as India Announce Squad for South Africa Tests

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Mumbai
  • Nov 05, 2025
  • 570

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the Indian squad for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa. The major highlight is the return of wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who makes a comeback after a three-month injury layoff.

Pant replaces Narayan Jagadeesan in the squad, while young pacer Akashdeep has been drafted in place of Prasidh Krishna.

Pant had missed the home series against the West Indies due to a leg fracture sustained during the Manchester Test against England in July. He marked his return on November 2, captaining India A in a four-day game against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Though he scored only 17 in the first innings, Pant struck a brilliant 90 in the second, guiding India A to victory.

The 27-year-old left-hander has been one of India’s most prolific wicketkeeper-batsmen in Tests, scoring 3,427 runs in 47 matches at an average of 44.50, with 8 centuries and 18 fifties. He holds the record for most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper. Pant has also featured in 31 ODIs and 76 T20 Internationals for India.

India’s Squad for the South Africa Test Series

Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain & wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and Akashdeep.

Historic Venues and WTC Context

The first Test will be played in Kolkata from November 14, followed by the second Test in Guwahati from November 22—the first-ever Test match in Guwahati. In a unique move, the match in Guwahati will feature a tea session before lunch, breaking away from traditional Test scheduling.

Head-to-Head and WTC Standings

South Africa remains one of the few teams to have won a Test series in India, clinching a 2-0 victory in 2000. They also drew series in 2008 and 2010. The last time the two sides met in India, in 2019, Virat Kohli’s India won 3-0.

In the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, Australia leads the points table, followed by Sri Lanka. India sits third with 61.90% points from seven matches (four wins, two losses, one draw), while South Africa is fifth with 50% from two matches. This will be India’s second home assignment of the current WTC cycle, after a 2-0 victory over the West Indies earlier this year.