According to a report from PTI, Rishabh Pant has been released from India’s Test squad in order to allow him for playing in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The decision has been taken keeping to give him some much-needed game time ahead of India’s upcoming limited-overs home series against West Indies next month.
Pant will join the Delhi squad which is now playing in the Super League of the tournament. He will be Playing in their next two games against Haryana (November 24) and Rajasthan (November 27). And if Delhi makes it farther, he would also be available to play in the semi-finals and the final.
The selectors have also called up Andhra Andhra Wicket-Keeper KS Bharat to join the Indian squad as cover for Wriddhiman Saha for the remainder of the second Test against Bangladesh.
“Rishabh will be playing all the six matches (3 T20Is and 3 ODIs) against the West Indies. The selectors thought that it’s only prudent that he goes and plays in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Delhi,” Press Trust of India quoted a BCCI official as saying.
Even though this is his first call up into the Indian team, Bharat has been a regular with India A for the past few seasons. He averages 37.58 with the bat in 69 first-class games and has a total tally of 3909 runs to his name, which includes eight centuries and 20 half-centuries.
“I played the first pink-ball match in Lucknow when it was introduced in the Duleep Trophy in 2015,” Bharat told PTI as he was on his way to the airport from his Visakhapatnam residence. “I got a call and was asked to join the team. I’m reaching at 8.30 tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to sharing the dressing room with my idol Virat Bhai. Wriddhiman is one of the best wicketkeepers of the current era. I’m hoping to learn a lot from them.”