Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli Return to India’s Test Squad for Bangladesh Series

In a significant development for Indian cricket, Rishabh Pant has been named in the Test squad for the first time since December 2022. The announcement was made as India prepares for the upcoming Test match against Bangladesh, scheduled to commence on September 19, 2024, in Chennai.

Alongside Pant’s return, uncapped left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal has also received a call-up to the squad, which will be captained by Rohit Sharma. While Pant rejoins the team, Dhruv Jurel will continue as the incumbent wicketkeeper, and KL Rahul, who has previously kept wickets for the team, remains in the squad.

The spin department of the team will include renowned players such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel. In the middle-order batting lineup, Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan are set to play pivotal roles, while Shreyas Iyer has been overlooked for this series. The skilled Shubman Gill is likely to occupy the No. 3 position in the batting order.

The pace attack will be spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, supported by Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who displayed exceptional performance during the home series against England. The addition of Yash Dayal provides a left-arm bowling option to the pace lineup.

This first Test marks the beginning of a long home season for Indian cricket, with the second Test scheduled to take place at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.

Statistically, India has faced Bangladesh in 13 Test matches, securing victory in 11 encounters while two matches ended in draws. Bangladesh enters this series on a high note, following their historic 2-0 victory over Pakistan, while India last played a Test series from January to March earlier this year, achieving a 4-1 triumph over England.