The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, marking the return of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant and the continued absence of seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami.

Pant’s Return and Leadership Role

Rishabh Pant has been named the vice-captain, signaling his full recovery and importance to the squad. This will be Pant’s first appearance in international cricket since sustaining a foot fracture during India’s Test series against England in July.

The 28-year-old recently proved his match fitness by captaining the India A side in an unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru. During that match, Pant successfully kept wickets for nearly 140 overs and showcased his batting form with a quickfire 90 off 113 balls in the second innings, which helped India A secure a three-wicket win. His inclusion means Dhruv Jurel, who impressed with a maiden century in the preceding series against the West Indies, is likely to be benched. Pant replaces N. Jagadeesan in the Test squad.

Notable Absence of Mohammed Shami

Veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami was a significant omission from the squad. Shami, who had also been left out of the West Indies series despite publicly stating his fitness, has recently displayed exceptional form in domestic cricket. He played a crucial role in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy victory over Gujarat, taking eight wickets in the match, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings. Despite this performance, the selectors chose not to include the 35-year-old.

Other Squad Changes

The only other change to the squad sees pace bowler Akash Deep included, replacing Prasidh Krishna. Akash Deep’s opportunity will depend on the team management’s decision to rest either Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Siraj, as Prasidh Krishna had also spent the previous series on the bench.

The two-match Test series against South Africa is scheduled to begin on November 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by the second Test in Guwahati starting November 22.

India’s Full Test Squad for South Africa Series: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK, VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep.