Rishabh Pant set to return from injury in Ranji Trophy ahead of South Africa series

‌Rishabh Pant is expected to make a return to the cricketing field in the second round of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season. The wicketkeeper-batter will feature in Delhi’s first home game of the season against Himachal Pradesh at the Arun Jaitley Stadium from October 25.

Pant had an excellent series with the bat in England before fracturing his right foot while trying to reverse sweep Chris Woakes in the fourth Test. Though he missed the final Test, he amassed 479 runs, including two centuries and three fifties in seven innings, at an average of 68.42 during the tour.

The Lucknow Super Giants skipper is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence and is expected to undergo a fitness assessment later this week. He was not considered for the home Test series against West Indies, with Dhruv Jurel donning the big gloves and N Jagadeesan named as the backup keeper in the squad. In Pant’s absence, Jurel was also picked as the second wicketkeeper for India’s ODI series in Australia, with Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma retaining their places for the T20Is.

Delhi play their first game of the season against Hyderabad on October 15, and the left-handed batter will be out of action for the season opener of the premier domestic tournament. If Pant can prove his fitness in the second game, he will automatically walk into the Indian side for the home series against South Africa.

The Proteas visit India for an all-format series, with the first Test to be played in Kolkata from November 14. The two Test matches will be followed by a three-match ODI leg and five T20Is extending to December 19.