Rishabh Pant set for Test return as BCCI unveils India squad for series opener against Bangladesh

Rishabh Pant returned to the Indian Test team for the first time since December 2022 as the BCCI unveiled the squad for the first Test against Bangladesh that gets underway on 19 September in Chennai.

The squad, however, did not include senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who has been out of action since last year’s ODI World Cup at home due to an ankle injury and a subsequent surgery, and who was said to be nearing match fitness.

India additionally, opted to retain the trio of Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Akash Deep from group of players who had debuted in the home series against England earlier this year.

More from First Cricket News

India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Match LIVE Updates: Amid boycott call, Men In Blue get ready to face arch-rivals in Dubai BCCI defends decision to play vs Pakistan in Asia Cup months after Pahalgam attack: 'If we boycott...'

The upcoming Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium could witness another debut with the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee giving Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Uttar Pradesh left-arm pacer Yash Dayal a maiden Test call-up.

Among the seniors, Pant received his first Test call-up since he had survived a horrific car accident in December 2022. His last Test appearance incidentally was also against Bangladesh, albeit away from home shortly before the accident that would rule put him out of action for more than a year.

Senior batter KL Rahul has also been included as the prime candidate for the No 5 slot. However, the selectors overlooked fellow senior Shreyas Iyer, who had been dropped for the remainder of the England Tests after playing the first two matches and later getting dropped from the BCCI’s central contracts list for not prioritising domestic cricket.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

'Won't require surgery...': Real reason behind Jasprit Bumrah's absence from 5th Test revealed in new report

PCB bans players from WCL over India-Pakistan match controversy

The selectors also did not include Ishan Kishan, whose only Test appearances came in the two-Test series in West Indies last year. Kishan, like Iyer, was dropped from the BCCI’s central contracts list for not going back to domestic cricket despite being repeatedly told to do so by the team management.

Kishan had last represented India in the T20I series against Australia at home right after the ODI World Cup.

India squad for first Test against Bangladesh: 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, Yash Dayal.