Pant is back to lead India A ahead of the South Africa Tests.

Pant is back to lead India A ahead of the South Africa Tests.

India A’s two-match series vs South Africa A sees Rishabh Pant return as captain, with fresh faces in game one and senior stars joining for game two.

Rishabh Pant is set to lead India A in two four-day matches against South Africa A from October 30 to November 9. This marks his return to competitive cricket after recovering from a toe injury he suffered during the Manchester Test against England in July. Pant missed the fifth Test in England and two home games against West Indies due to the injury, but he’s now expected to make a comeback to the senior Test team.

The BCCI has announced two separate squads for the two matches. Interestingly, Sarfaraz Khan has not been included in either. Sai Sudharsan has been named vice-captain of the squad.

Since the matches clash with India’s limited-overs tour of Australia, the first squad has a strong domestic touch. Young Ayush Mhatre, just 18 years old, has earned a call-up alongside Rajat Patidar. Ayush Badoni retains his spot in the squad. Other batters include Devdutt Padikkal, Sudharsan, and N Jagadeesan.

The squad also features all-rounders Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, and Manav Suthar. The bowling unit includes Yash Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, and Saransh Jain. Notably, Dubey, Kotian, Thakur, and Suthar all played in the recent four-day matches against Australia A.

India A squad for the 1st four-day match: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), N Jagdeesan (WK), Ayush Mhatre, Sai Sudharsan (VC), Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Anshul Kamboj, Ayush Badoni, Yash Thakur, Saransh Jain.

The squad for the second four-day match against South Africa A features several familiar faces from India’s Test setup. KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj have all been added, bringing more experience and depth to the team.

Akash Deep also returns to the squad after playing a key role in Bengal’s win over Uttarakhand in their Ranji Trophy opener. Fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Gurnoor Brar have been drafted in as well, rounding out a strong pace attack for the second game.

India A squad for the 2nd four-day match: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan (VC), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Khaleel Ahmed, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.

For the second four-day match against South Africa A, six players from the first game have been left out. These include Ayush Mhatre, Rajat Patidar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, and Saransh Jain. Their exclusion makes way for more experienced names in the squad

Both matches will be held at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Following these games, the India A team will embark on a tour of South Africa, which commences on November 14 in Kolkata.

India A vs South Africa A series schedule:

1st Four-day match - October 30 to November 2 - Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru

2nd Four-day match - November 6 to November 9 - Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru