Rishabh Pant to Lead India A Squad in South Africa Series, Fringe Player Named Vice-Captain, Key Test Stars Included
The BCCI announced the India A squad for the upcoming four-day series against South Africa A, featuring Rishabh Pant as captain and Sai Sudharsan as vice-captain. The two matches will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru, starting October 30 and November 6 respectively.
India A Squad Announced for South Africa A Series
The selection committee picked two separate India A squads for the multi-day games against South Africa A.
1st Four-Day Match
Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Ayush Mhatre, N Jagdeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain.
2nd Four-Day Match
Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
The two fixtures will both start at 9:30 AM at the BCCI COE in Bengaluru, scheduled from October 30 – November 2and November 6 – 9.
Key Squad Changes
There’s a significant rotation between the two matches, with KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj joining for the second four-day game as part of their red-ball workload management.
- Additions for 2nd match: KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Akash Deep.
- Players omitted after 1st match: Ayush Mhatre, Rajat Patidar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain.
The inclusion of senior India internationals Rahul and Siraj is aimed at giving them crucial long-format time before the upcoming home Test assignments.
Comparison with Previous Series vs Australia A
The squad sees a blend of continuity and experimentation from the last unofficial Test series against Australia A in September 2025, where Shreyas Iyer had led the side.
- Out: Shreyas Iyer (previous capt), Nitish Reddy
- In: Rishabh Pant (new captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Akash Deep, Rajat Patidar, Ayush Mhatre, Anshul Kamboj, Saransh Jain
Pant’s appointment marks his return to leadership duties, highlighting his growing readiness after a successful comeback in competitive cricket earlier this year.
Recap: India A vs Australia A Series
India A claimed the two-match unofficial Test series 1-0 against Australia A in Lucknow last month.
- 1st Unofficial Test: Ended in a high-scoring draw as Devdutt Padikkal (150) and Dhruv Jurel (140) led India’s reply to Australia A’s 532 for 6 declared.
- 2nd Unofficial Test: India A chased down 412 in the fourth innings, thanks to KL Rahul’s unbeaten 176 and Sai Sudharsan’s 100, securing a memorable five-wicket win.
- Manav Suthar (5-107) and Gurnoor Brar (3-42) starred with the ball.
- The result underscored the depth of India’s red-ball talent pipeline, with multiple fringe Test players performing under pressure.
The South Africa A series provides another opportunity for emerging talents such as Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar, and Tanush Kotian to impress selectors, while giving senior names like Rahul, Pant, and Siraj valuable long-format preparation.
With the series taking place at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, conditions are expected to assist both seam and spin, offering a balanced test for the touring South Africans.
LATEST POSTS:
- Defending Champions RCB Seal Spot in IPL 2026 Final After Thrashing Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1; Key Takeaways from RCB vs GT Match
- Why Is Jasprit Bumrah Not in MI Playing XI Today for MI vs RR IPL 2026 Match?
- Shreyas Iyer Slams Maiden Century as Punjab Kings Stay Alive in Playoff Qualification Race; Key Takeaways from LSG vs PBKS IPL 2026
- Why Is Jacob Bethell Not in RCB Playing XI Tonight for SRH vs RCB IPL 2026?
- Pat Cummins Reveals Reason for Electing Ishan Kishan as SRH Stand-in Captain in IPL 2026
South Africa Tour of India Fixtures
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (Local) | Time (GMT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14 (Fri) – Nov 18 (Tue) | 1st Test | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 9:30 AM | 04:00 AM GMT |
| Nov 22 (Sat) – Nov 26 (Wed) | 2nd Test | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 9:30 AM | 04:00 AM GMT |
| Nov 30 (Sun) | 1st ODI | JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | 1:30 PM | 08:00 AM GMT |
| Dec 03 (Wed) | 2nd ODI | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur | 1:30 PM | 08:00 AM GMT |
| Dec 06 (Sat) | 3rd ODI | ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam | 1:30 PM | 08:00 AM GMT |
| Dec 09 (Tue) | 1st T20I | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
| Dec 11 (Thu) | 2nd T20I | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
| Dec 14 (Sun) | 3rd T20I | Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
| Dec 17 (Wed) | 4th T20I | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
| Dec 19 (Fri) | 5th T20I | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:00 PM | 01:30 PM GMT |
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
