Rishabh Pant Fails Fitness Test, New Zealand Tour Place in Doubt

Rishabh Pant’s New Zealand tour is suddenly on shaky ground. The India wicketkeeper-batter failed his first fitness test in Bengaluru on Sunday, November 2, and now faces a second assessment within two days. The result will decide whether he boards the flight for the two-Test series.

Pant Falls Short at the Centre of Excellence

The BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru hosted the test, and Pant did not meet the fitness benchmark required to travel. His place in the squad now hangs in the balance.

The BCCI medical team has scheduled a fresh assessment within the next two days. If he clears it, he can fly out and join the squad. If he does not, India’s wicketkeeping plans for the series will need another look.

The Side Strain Behind the Setback

The problem began with a side strain Pant picked up during the Irani Cup in early October. He reported to the Centre of Excellence on October 23.

Since then he has followed a structured rehabilitation programme covering both batting drills and wicketkeeping sessions. Sunday’s result shows he is not fully there yet.

Selectors Saw This Coming

Selectors named Pant in the Test squad but put an asterisk against his name to flag the fitness concern. That mark now looks significant.

On October 12, he was ruled out of the first two four-day tour fixtures. Uncapped Kumar Kushagra was brought in as cover for those matches.

If Pant passes the second assessment, the plan is for him to join the squad for the third four-day match against New Zealand A in Lincoln. That game begins on November 7 and is his first chance to get match time before the Tests.

India’s Test Schedule in New Zealand

The clock is ticking. Here are the key dates for Pant and the squad.

Lincoln is the earliest point at which Pant could play competitively on tour. Missing it would leave him with little preparation before Wellington.

Dhruv Jurel Ready Behind the Stumps

Dhruv Jurel kept wicket in both earlier tour games in Pant’s absence. He is in India’s main Test squad and is the designated backup keeper.

Those India A fixtures against New Zealand A gave Jurel valuable preparation ahead of the Test leg. If Pant is delayed or ruled out, Jurel is the obvious next option.

Bumrah Heads to New Zealand

There is better news on the pace front. Jasprit Bumrah left for New Zealand on Sunday and is pencilled in for the third four-day match in Lincoln.

He has been out of action since early October. He returned to preparation with bowling sessions in Ahmedabad, then completed a ready-for-play routine at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru last week.

His departure gives India a boost, but the focus remains on whether Pant can follow him.

India’s Test Squad for New Zealand

The full squad for the two-match series:

• Shubman Gill (captain)
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• KL Rahul (vice-captain)
• Devdutt Padikkal
• Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)*
• Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper)
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Anshul Kamboj
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Prasidh Krishna
• Akash Deep
• Sai Sudharsan
• Nitish Kumar Reddy
• Washington Sundar
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Mohammed Siraj

The asterisk against Pant’s name marks the fitness concern flagged at selection.

What Happens Next

All eyes are on the second assessment. A pass would put Pant on a flight and in line for Lincoln on November 7. A fail would raise real questions about his availability for Wellington on November 19.

For now, India wait. The BCCI medical team will make the call within two days, and the wicketkeeping plan for the series depends on it.