Rishabh Pant Returns for India A vs South Africa A
Rishabh Pant is set to make his long-awaited comeback as he leads India A against South Africa A in a four-day match starting Thursday at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru. The wicketkeeper-batter returns to competitive cricket after a three-month injury layoff caused by a foot injury sustained during the fourth Test against England on July 23.
Pant followed a structured rehabilitation program after his injury. He missed the home Test series against the West Indies. The two four-day matches against South Africa A offer him a chance to regain match rhythm. They serve as preparation for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa’s senior team next month.
The 28-year-old could replace Dhruv Jurel, who impressed with both bat and gloves against the West Indies. Having spent the last few weeks training at the CoE, Pant now looks forward to real-time game exposure.
Pant Prepares to Regain Match Fitness
The South Africa A bowling unit lacks big names except for off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen, which could help Pant ease into his comeback. The pitch in Bengaluru is expected to support batting and won’t trouble him much early on.
Pant will use the match to refine both his batting fluency and wicketkeeping reflexes. He aims to regain wicketkeeping rhythm before facing Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav in the upcoming Test series. He’ll practice against India A spinners Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar, and Harsh Dubey to improve behind the stumps.
Sai Sudharsan Eyes Consistency at No. 3
Another key player in focus is Sai Sudharsan, who last featured in the second Test against the West Indies earlier this month. The Tamil Nadu left-hander has been occupying the No. 3 position recently, but consistency has eluded him so far.
With only two half-centuries in nine innings, Sudharsan will be looking for a substantial score to establish himself as a dependable top-order option ahead of the South Africa series.
Young India A Squad Looks to Impress
Apart from Pant and Sudharsan, India A includes Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Devdutt Padikkal, and Narayan Jagadeesan. Devdutt and Jagadeesan, part of India’s West Indies tour, aim to impress and stay in contention for senior team selection.
For bowlers like Khaleel and Kamboj, there are no immediate openings in the main squad. However, strong performances could keep them in BCCI’s long-term selection plans.
South Africa A: Zubayr Hamza Returns After Two Years
On the visitors’ side, all eyes will be on Zubayr Hamza, who returns to South Africa’s Test setup after nearly two years. Hamza has been in solid domestic form recently, scoring two centuries and two fifties in his last six first-class games.
His form will be closely tracked as South Africa prepare for the main Test series against India, and the India A contest offers him a chance to reestablish his credentials on the international radar.
Stay tuned for all the latest Match Predictions, Fantasy Tips, Cricket updates, match highlights, player analysis, and viral moments!