Rishabh Pant will make his much-anticipated return to red-ball cricket as captain of India A for two four-day matches against South Africa A, scheduled for October 30 – November 2 and November 6 – November 9 in Bengaluru.
The selection signals confidence from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Pant’s recovery. He had been sidelined since July after a fractured foot during the Test match in Manchester.

India A’s first game will feature younger domestic players; the second match will bring in senior Test players including KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. These fixtures act as a “dress-rehearsal” ahead of the India vs South Africa Test series which starts on November 14.