New Delhi, October 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the first two matches of India A’s upcoming tour of New Zealand due to a left-side strain. Young wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra has been named as his replacement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Monday.
Pant’s availability for the tour had already been subject to fitness clearance after he contracted a viral fever while leading the Rest of India to victory in the Irani Cup against Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar from October 1 to 4.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said Pant, 29, remained under the supervision of the board’s medical team and was recovering well. A decision on his availability for the third match, scheduled to begin on October 7 in Lincoln, will be taken at a later stage, he added.
“He remains under the care of the BCCI Medical Team and is recovering well,” Saikia said.
“A decision on his availability for the third match will be taken at a later stage. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Kumar Kushagra as Pant’s replacement for the first two matches,” he added.
Kushagra, the 21-year-old Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter, will join the Dhruv Jurel-led squad for India A’s red-ball tour. The squad also includes international players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, B. Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar.
Kushagra comes into the squad after a productive run in India A’s red-ball matches against Australia A in Puducherry. He scored 113 and 46 in the first match, helping India A secure victory, before managing 10 and one run in the second game.
The India A series is an important preparatory assignment ahead of the two-Test series between India and New Zealand in Wellington and Christchurch. The matches are expected to provide both sides with valuable preparation ahead of the Test contest, which has implications for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Updated India A squad: Dhruv Jurel (captain and wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, B. Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar and Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper, for the first and second matches).
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