Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the third unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand AHis availability for the first senior Test against New Zealand remains uncertain as he awaits fitness clearance.
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Rishabh Pant ruled out of final India A Test (Photo: AFP)
India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the third and final unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand AThe four-day match is scheduled from November 7 to 10 at Lincoln and Pant will not be part of it due to his left-side strain injury.
This is a big setback for Team India as this series was seen as important preparation before the senior team’s two-match Test series against New Zealand starting November 19.
Rishabh Pant picked up a left-side strain injury in early October 2026 while captaining Rest of India against Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Cup final in SrinagarSince then, he has not played any competitive cricket.
He had already missed the first two unofficial Tests against New Zealand A because of the same injuryKumar Kushagra was named as his replacement for those matches, while Dhruv Jurel took over the captaincy of India A side and even scored an unbeaten 99 in the second game at Christchurch.
With his absence from the Lincoln Test, Pant will not play any of the three unofficial TestsEarlier, reports on October 26 had said that Pant was on track to return for the third match, but latest fitness assessments on November 1 have ruled him out as a precautionary measure.
The team management does not want to rush his comebackAs per reports, they want him to be fully fit before returning to competitive cricket.
When will Pant return? BCCI medical team update
Rishabh Pant has resumed his skill training at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in BengaluruHe is currently not feeling any pain and there are no clinical symptoms related to the injury visible.
However, no definite timeline has been set yet for his return to competitive cricket.
“After recovering from his injury, Pant has restarted his skill trainingCurrently, he is not experiencing any pain, and no clinical symptoms related to the injury are visibleHowever, no definite timeline has been set yet for his return to competitive cricket,” the report stated as quoted by Dainik Jagran.
Sources say that Pant will have to complete three skill training sessions along with four match simulation sessions before a formal fitness evaluation can be doneOnly after that, the BCCI medical team will assess his fitness and give clearance for competitive cricket.
Doubt over Wellington Test
Pant’s absence from the India A game has also created doubt over his availability for the first Test against New Zealand at Basin Reserve in Wellington starting November 19.
He was named in India’s 16-member Test squad for the New Zealand series, but his selection was subject to fitness clearanceHis place in the playing eleven for Wellington will depend on the medical team giving clearance before the match.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir was also asked about Pant’s fitness on Sunday, but he did not give a clear update.
“I don’t have an update yet on Rishabh Pant, will share when I get,” Gambhir said.
As of November 1, BCCI has not made any official announcement regarding a squad change or a confirmed replacement for Pant.
