The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh, scheduled to begin on September 19. Notably, wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant returns to the Test side after a long hiatus of nearly 20 months due to injuries sustained in a car accident. Pant’s return marks a significant moment as he reclaims his place in the Indian squad.
Rohit Sharma will lead the team as captain, with Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah also included in the squad. The selection sees the inclusion of young pacer Yash Dayal, who receives his maiden call-up, and Akash Deep, adding depth to India’s bowling attack.
Pant’s last appearance in Test cricket was against Bangladesh in Mirpur from December 22-25, 2022. Shortly after, he was involved in a severe road accident on December 30, which led to a lengthy recovery period. He made his return to competitive cricket during the IPL earlier this year and was a key player in India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign.
Mohammed Shami, despite earlier indications from selector Ajit Agarkar that he might return for this Test, did not make the squad.
India’s Test season kicks off with this match in Chennai, followed by the second Test at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.
In their previous 13 Test encounters, India has won 11 times, with two matches ending in draws. Bangladesh heads into this series with confidence following a historic 2-0 series win against Pakistan in their own backyard. This series will mark India’s first Test assignment since their 4-1 series win over England earlier this year.
India’s Squad for the 1st Test against Bangladesh:
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- KL Rahul
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Rishabh Pant (WK)
- Dhruv Jurel (WK)
- R. Ashwin
- R. Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Siraj
- Akash Deep
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Yash Dayal
(With PTI inputs)
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