Rishabh Pant returns to Indian Test team for Bangladesh series
Batter KL Rahul also back in the first match while pacer Yash Dayal gets maiden call up
Dubai: Rishabh Pant has returned to the Indian Test team along with K.L Rahul for the first of the two-Test series against Bangladesh to be held this month.
The 26-year-old Pant had returned to the Indian team ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup after nearly 18 months since suffering a near-fatal accident in 2022. The left-hander passed in flying colours during the gruelling Indian Premier League 2024 earlier this year, which helped him regain his spot in the playing XI for the World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
He subsequently showed that he is fit to play in the red-ball format after an impressive stint in the domestic Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru. Similarly, Rahul, who suffered an injury during the first Test against England in Hyderabad last year, also proved his readiness for the longest format with a half-century in the Duleep Trophy.
Dhruv Jurel, who made his debut against England, also has been retained, which means Indian team have three wicketkeepers in the squad, though Rahul has been selected only as a batter according to a statement from the Indian cricket board.
The series will be a big Test for India against Bangladesh, who will be arriving on the back of stunning, historic series win at Pakistan’s home soil.
Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal has earned his maiden call up to the Indian Test team after his impressive run since the beginning of the year. The Uttar Pradesh pacer finished with 15 wickets in this IPL season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and followed it up with another good show in the ongoing Duleep Trophy.
The first Test against Bangladesh begins in Chennai on September 19 while the second Test will be held at Kanpur from September 27.
Indian squad for first Test:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah and Yash Dayal.