Cricket fans rejoice! India’s dynamic wicket-keeper and batter, Rishabh Pant, has been named captain of the national ‘A’ side for an upcoming red-ball series against South Africa ‘A’. This exciting announcement comes after Pant made a full recovery from a foot fracture he sustained during the tour of England.
Pant’s injury occurred back in July while he was batting in the fourth Test in Manchester. The incident, where he was struck on his right toe by a Chris Woakes delivery, unfortunately kept him out of both the Asia Cup squad and the recent two-Test home series against the West Indies. Despite the injury, Pant displayed incredible grit, scoring a heroic half-century in what was ultimately a losing effort for his team.
The national selectors have included Pant in the India ‘A’ squad for both upcoming four-day games, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru starting October 30. This ‘A’ series is expected to provide invaluable match practice for Pant as he prepares for the senior team’s two-match home Test series against South Africa, which kicks off on November 14 in Kolkata.
The squad for these two four-day encounters boasts several other notable players. Expect to see talents like K.L. Rahul, the promising Sai Sudharsan (who will serve as vice-captain), Devdutt Padikkal, wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, and fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. All these six players were also part of the recent Test squad that faced the West Indies.
Specifically, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Dhruv Jurel are slated to play in the second game, which runs from November 6 to 9. N. Jagadeesan will step in as the second wicketkeeper for the first match. Sai Sudharsan, whose technique was put to the test against the West Indies spinners, will be eager to sharpen his skills and improve that aspect of his game during this series.
Akash Deep, who hasn’t featured in Test cricket since the England tour, will also be available for the second unofficial Test, adding more depth to the bowling attack. Among other domestic standouts, all eyes will be on pacers Gurnoor Brar and Khaleel Ahmed to see how they perform on this stage.
Meanwhile, the touring South Africa ‘A’ team, led by Marques Ackerman, will feature senior team captain Temba Bavuma, who is also making his return after recovering from a calf injury. Beyond the red-ball series, South Africa ‘A’ is also scheduled to play three one-day matches against India ‘A’ in Rajkot from November 13 to 19.
Following the ‘A’ series, the main Test series for the senior teams will take place from November 14 to November 26, which will then be followed by three One-Day Internationals and five T20 Internationals.
India A squad for the 1st four-day match:
Rishabh Pant (Captain & Wicketkeeper), Ayush Mhatre, N. Jagdeesan (Wicketkeeper), Sai Sudharsan (Vice-Captain), 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 (Captain & Wicketkeeper), K.L. Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Sai Sudharsan (Vice-Captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.