Rishabh Pant eyes Ranji Trophy return on Oct 25; seeks DDCA nod, BCCI clearance pending

The 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Pant sustained a toe injury during the England tour when a Chris Woakes yorker struck him on the opening day of the Manchester Test, ruling him out of the series decider. As a result, he also missed selection for the ongoing two-Test series against the West Indies, where Dhruv Jurel and Narayan Jagadeesan have been drafted in; India lead the series 1-0 after an innings-and-140-run win in the first Test.

Pant recently shared a recovery video on X on September 30, signaling steady progress. If he proves match fitness in the Ranji Trophy, Pant is expected to push for an international return during South Africa’s India tour in November, featuring 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 5 T20Is. The first Test is scheduled in Kolkata from November 14.

Key checkpoints for Pant’s return include BCCI medical clearance, match-readiness assessment, and workload management—especially keeping duties. Delhi’s Ranji opener thus becomes a crucial platform for Pant to demonstrate readiness ahead of a potentially high-stakes comeback against South Africa. Fans and selectors alike will closely track his status updates leading up to October 10 and the Delhi vs Himachal Pradesh match on October 25.