Rishabh Pant's Comeback Confirmed; Set to Lead this Team on Return

India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who was sidelined for the fourth Test of the tour to England due to a foot injury, could play for Delhi in the second round of the Ranji Trophy, beginning on October 25. This would mark the beginning of his return to the Indian Test team for the two-Test match against South Africa in November.

During the Manchester Test match against England, Rishabh Pant suffered a broken foot off Chris Woakes' bowling. He immediately retired hurt after being struck on the right foot while attempting to reverse sweep a ball. Pant came out to bat again when the Indian team needed him most, even though scans showed that the batter had broken his toe.

Pant, who is one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen in the world, finished the England series as the sixth-highest run scorer for India, with 479 runs at an average of 68.42 and a strike rate of 77.63 over four Test matches, including three fifties and two hundreds. He was replaced by Dhruv Jurel for the fifth Test, which India went on to win.

Rishabh Pant Comeback: Star Wicketkeeper Set to Return

The BCCI's medical staff is likely to give Pant the all-clear to play by October 10, according to the reports by renowned journalist, Abhishek Tripathi. Pant has also spoken with Rohan Jaitley, the president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), and he intends to resume playing competitive cricket with the Ranji Trophy starting on October 25.

The BCCI medical staff, who are continuously observing the player's fitness, will give the final nod on Rishabh Pant Ranji Trophy availability. As a result, the wicketkeeper-batter is likely to appear for his state team Delhi in a few months. It will be a big moment for the other Delhi players as they are likely to have one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world in their dressing room.

Rishabh Pant Captaincy: India Vice-Captain to Lead Delhi

Rishabh Pant will be captaining the Delhi team in the red-ball competition if he participates in the Ranji Trophy, according to a Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) official. Currently, Ayush Badoni, his teammate at the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL, is leading the Delhi squad.

Having previously captained the Delhi Premier League (DPL) South Delhi Superstarz and the Delhi Ranji Trophy side, Badoni possesses leadership experience. In November 2024, Ayush Badoni was appointed captain of Delhi's Ranji team, replacing Himmat Singh, who was having form issues, in the middle of the season. Badoni secured a vital first-innings advantage for Delhi in his debut as captain by scoring an undefeated 205 against Jharkhand.

Pant is already the vice-captain of India's Test team also leads LSG in the Indian Premier League. He has a good amount of experience of being in the leadership group that can help Delhi in the opening phase of Ranji Trophy.

Pant failed to be fit for the home Test series against the West Indies. He was also unable to make it to the white-ball tour of Australia, and the South Africa series is anticipated to mark his return to international cricket. Ajit Agarkar, the national chief selector, recently stated that Rishabh Pant is anticipated to make a comeback before the South Africa Tests when he announced the team for the two-match home series against the West Indies.