Will Rishabh Pant play the 2026 New Zealand Test series? Latest injury update and timeline for the Indian WK's return originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Rishabh Pant has not been ruled out of India's two-Test series in New Zealand, but no clearance has been announced, and the squad is still to be named.
- The BCCI ruled Pant out of the first two India A matches against New Zealand A on 12 October after he picked up an injury while captaining Rest of India in the Irani Cup.
- One report puts his clearance at 10 to 15 days, while Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla said Pant "will be fine for the New Zealand series".
Pant's latest injury scare lands at a delicate time for India's Test plans
Rishabh Pant remains eligible for India's two-Test series in New Zealand, but he is not yet cleared. There are only two Tests, in Wellington from November 19 and Christchurch from November 27, so missing one match means missing half the series. The squad is still to be named, and the answer depends on his recovery over the coming weeks.
The concern is not new. A foot injury kept Pant out of India's home Tests against the West Indies in October 2025, and he was named again for the South Africa Tests the following month. In January, an oblique muscle tear ruled him out of the ODI series against New Zealand after he felt discomfort while batting in the nets in Vadodara.
The latest scare came in Srinagar. Pant captained Rest of India to a 167-run win over Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Cup, scoring 10 and 8 with the bat. Reports said he had a fever on day three, and he did not take the field on the final day.
On 12 October, the BCCI ruled him out of the first two India A matches against New Zealand A. Whether that extends to the Tests is the question that follows.
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Rishabh Pant's injury update and what the reports say
Reports differ on the nature of the injury. One account describes a left-side strain with inflammation around the lower left rib and no clear fracture. Another describes back spasms. The 12 October ruling covers only the first two India A matches.
Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla said, "There is some swelling in his back, but he will be fine for the New Zealand series." The BCCI has confirmed that Pant is under the care of its medical team but has given no return date. One report said Pant may need another week before returning to training at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, and put his clearance at 10 to 15 days.
The same report said there was hope he would be fit before India's red-ball matches in New Zealand. Kumar Kushagra, a 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, replaces him for the first two India A games in Lincoln and Christchurch. Dhruv Jurel captains the side. Pant's place in the third game, which starts in Lincoln on 7 November, will be decided later.
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Pant's return timeline before Wellington Test
The Test series comprises two matches. The first is at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from 19 to November 23, and the second is at Hagley Oval in Christchurch from November 27 to December 1. Both start at 11 a.m. local time, or 3:30 a.m. IST.
The window to prove fitness is wide. From the October 12 update to the first Test is 38 days. If Pant plays the third India A match, which runs from 7 to November 10, he would have nine days from the end of that game to the Wellington Test.
The Test squad is yet to be named, and reports say it will be announced later this month. One report says Dhruv Jurel would likely keep the wicket if Pant is ruled out, which could open a place for Ishan Kishan.
What the Pant situation means for India's Test selection
Based on current evidence, Pant looks more likely to be available than not. The reports indicate a recovery timeline measured in days and weeks, and the first Test is 38 days after the medical update. No official source has ruled him out of the Tests.
A clear medical statement before the Test squad is named would settle the uncertainty. The Test squad is due later this month, but the third India A match starts on November 7.
Selectors may therefore name Pant subject to fitness, as the BCCI did for the India A squad, and leave a four-day game as the last check.
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