Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the first two matches of India A’s upcoming tour of New Zealand after sustaining a left-side strain during the Irani Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Monday.
Pant suffered the injury while captaining Rest of India in the domestic tournament and is currently recovering under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team.
The board said the wicketkeeper-batter was recovering well, but a decision on his availability for the third match would be taken at a later stage.
The Men’s Selection Committee has named Kumar Kushagra as Pant’s replacement for the opening two matches of the tour.
India A are scheduled to play a three-match unofficial Test series in New Zealand from October 24 to November 10, with matches set to take place in Lincoln and Christchurch.
The squad includes several players with international experience, such as KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar, alongside a mix of emerging domestic talent.
Dhruv Jurel will lead the side and also take up wicketkeeping duties, while Kushagra will provide an additional wicketkeeping option for the first two matches.
India A’s updated squad comprises Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Dhruv Jurel (captain and wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar and Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper, first and second matches).
