Rishabh Pant to undergo final fitness check on November 12 ahead of New Zealand Tests

Rishabh Pant will undergo a two-day fitness simulation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru beginning on November 12 as he bids to be cleared for India’s two-match Test series in New Zealand, which starts in Wellington on November 19, according to reports that say he is likely to be given the green light.

India are currently engaged in a five-match ODI series with New Zealand and have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead; the Test leg is scheduled to begin at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday, November 19. The 29-year-old Pant has been sidelined for the last 4-5 weeks after suffering a side strain during the Irani Cup and is undertaking rehabilitation work at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

The CoE has scheduled two days of simulation drills for Pant starting November 12, and a Cricbuzz report states he is likely to receive clearance to travel for the Test series if those assessments go well. Team staff have allowed him to resume wicketkeeping drills and batting sessions at the facility, and images circulating on social media show him participating in net work.

Pant had been named in India A’s initial squad for the unofficial Tests in New Zealand but did not feature in any match because he lacked permission from the CoE to play owing to fitness concerns. Reports indicate he is expected to reach New Zealand before the first Test should he be cleared following the CoE programme.

The last international appearance for the 29-year-old came in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in August, when he scored 63 off 89 balls in the first innings of the second Test in Colombo. Since that series, the article reports, he has played only one competitive game and has otherwise been out of action while recovering from the side strain.

Multiple reports state Pant is likely to be given final clearance in the coming days and to join the Indian squad for the Wellington Test; the piece adds that he is a regular in India’s Test lineup and that his return would bolster the batting unit in New Zealand’s conditions. India need to win the Test series to stay alive in the WTC 2025-27 final race.

Pant’s two-day simulation starting on November 12 will determine whether he travels to New Zealand in time to be available for the first Test at Basin Reserve on November 19.