India A squad for South Africa A series announced: Rishabh Pant returns as captain ahead of IND vs SA Tests

Devansh Poddar

India A squad for South Africa A series announced: Rishabh Pant returns as captain ahead of IND vs SA Tests image

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 13-member squad for India A, which is set to take on South Africa A in two four-day games starting this month. 

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India's red-ball vice-captain Rishabh Pant is all set to lead the side, as he will make a return to competitive cricket after a three-month break due to a foot injury. 

Rishabh Pant back as India A captain before South Africa Test series

India's dynamic wicket-keeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been out of the game since August this year. Pant suffered a toe fracture in India's Test tour to England in July-August 2025. 

The injury occurred during the 4th Test in Manchester, when Pant tried to reverse sweep a ball from Chris Woakes. He completely miscued the shot, and the ball struck him on his right toe, leading to a fracture. 

Pant, however, will now be back for the India A series, which is set to take place ahead of the all-important home Test series against the Proteas. 

More: When is the IND vs AUS 2nd ODI? Start time and date for the next India vs Australia match at Adelaide Oval

India A's squad for the 4-day games against South Africa A announced

The Pant-led side will feature a mixture of youth and experienced Indian players. While the side includes India's Test regulars such as KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammad Siraj, etc, it also includes a few of the young rising stars in the form of Anshul Kamboj, Ayush Mhatre, and others.

India A's squad for the first 4-day game:

  • Rishabh Pant (c) (wk)
  • Ayush Mhatre
  • N Jagadeesan (wk)
  • Sai Sudharsan (vc)
  • Devdutt Padikkal
  • Rajat Patidar
  • Harsh Dubey
  • Tanush Kotian
  • Manav Suthar
  • Anshul Kamboj
  • Yash Thakur
  • Ayush Badoni
  • Saransh Jain

India A's squad for the second 4-day game:

  • Rishabh Pant (c) (wk)
  • KL Rahul
  • Dhruv Jurel (wk)
  • Sai Sudharsan (vc)
  • Devdutt Padikkal
  • Ruturaj Gaikwad
  • Harsh Dubey
  • Tanush Kotian
  • Manav Suthar
  • Khaleel Ahmed
  • Gurnoor Brar
  • Abhimanyu Easwaran
  • Prasidh Krishna
  • Mohammad Siraj
  • Akash Deep

When are the India A vs South Africa A four-day matches?

The two-match series between India A and South Africa A will commence on October 30th at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. 

MatchDateTimeVenue
1st Multi-day gameOct 30 - Nov 209:30 AMBCCI COE
2nd Multi-day gameNov 6 - Nov 909:30 AMBCCI COE

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Staff Writer