Wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the first two matches of India A’s tour of New Zealand after sustaining a left-side strain while leading the Rest of India in the Irani Cup. Kumar Kushagra has been named as his replacement for those two matches.
The Men’s Selection Committee had originally announced the India A squad on October 6, 2026, with Pant included. Following the injury, the BCCI confirmed that Kushagra will cover wicketkeeping duties for the opening two multi-day fixtures, with Dhruv Jurel continuing as captain of the side.
India A are scheduled to play three multi-day matches against New Zealand A. The first runs from October 24 to 27 in Lincoln, the second from October 31 to November 3 in Christchurch, and the third from November 7 to 10 in Lincoln.
How serious is Rishabh Pant’s injury?
Pant picked up the left-side strain while captaining the Rest of India in the Irani Cup. The BCCI confirmed that he is currently under the care of the board’s medical team and is recovering well. No specific details about the severity of the strain have been made available.
A decision on whether Pant will be fit to participate in the third India A match, scheduled for November 7 to 10 in Lincoln, will be taken at a later stage. His availability for that fixture therefore remains open.
Why has Kumar Kushagra been brought into the squad?
With Pant unavailable for the first two matches, the selection committee turned to Kushagra as a like-for-like replacement given his role as a wicketkeeper-batter. He joins the squad specifically for the Lincoln and Christchurch fixtures and is listed in the squad as the designated wicketkeeper for those two games.
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Dhruv Jurel, who is also a wicketkeeper-batter, has been named captain of the India A side throughout the tour. The squad otherwise remains as originally announced on October 6, 2026, and features several experienced domestic performers alongside younger talent.
India A full squad for New Zealand A multi-day series
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Dhruv Jurel (C) (WK), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra (WK) (1st and 2nd matches).
