9 september 2024 : Rishabh Pant has been named in India’s Test squad for the first match against Bangladesh in Chennai from September 19-23, marking his return after nearly two years. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 16-member squad on Sunday. The second Test will take place in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.
Pant’s last Test was against Bangladesh in December 2022 before a car accident sidelined him for almost 15 months. He made his return to competitive cricket during the IPL in March and has since played in white-ball formats, including the T20 World Cup in June. His return to the Test team was anticipated after his performance for India B in the Duleep Trophy.
Pant scored a quick 61 off 47 balls in the second innings of the Duleep Trophy match, leading India B to a 76-run victory. Alongside Pant, Dhruv Jurel has been named as a wicketkeeper in the squad, with KL Rahul also returning after missing the last four Tests of the series against England due to injury.
Left-arm seamer Yash Dayal has received his first Test call-up. Dayal, from Uttar Pradesh, impressed with his performance in the Duleep Trophy, taking four wickets across the matches. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack, having had a break after the T20 World Cup.
The squad includes: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.