This marked Pant's first appearance in competitive cricket after his foot injury.
India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant marked his long-awaited comeback to competitive cricket with leadership and infectious energy behind the stumps during the first unofficial Test between India A and South Africa A at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence stadium in Bengaluru.
Making his comeback after a three-month-long layoff due to a foot injury sustained during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 in England, Pant was seen animatedly guiding his spinners from behind the wickets. A clip of him cheering on spinners, Tanush Kotian and Manav Suthar, has since gone viral on the internet.
Pant was caught on stump mic, easing the pressure off off-spinner Kotian, who conceded 25 runs off four overs in the first spell. With his usual wit, Pant encouraged his bowler to focus on finding rhythm instead of worrying about the flow of runs. The stumper also heard the left-arm spinner, Manav Suthar, asking him to maintain consistency, as he bowled six consecutive deliveries at the same spot after beating Zubayr Hamza with a turning ball.
Pant to Tanush Kotian: “Zyada fielder nahi hai outside mein, dalte reh apna koi nai. Thodi her dande pe dalo, koi problem nahi hai. Tang mat ho. Relax hoke daal. Rhythm pakadne ko dekho aa jayega ek add over mein (wicket), pareshan mat ho.”
Pant to Manav Suthar: “Are bhai, yahi hai. 6 ball daal ke dikhao zara maza aayega.”
Earlier, Pant surprised everyone on Thursday when he walked out for the toss wearing the iconic No. 18 jersey of former India skipper and batting stalwart Virat Kohli.
Kohli, who drew curtains on his Test career earlier this year, wore jersey No. 18 throughout his red-ball and T20I career. He continues to don the same number jersey in ODI cricket, the only format he currently plays for India.
Pant, who generally wears No. 17, looked tactically sharp and confident as a captain in the first session. Asked to bat first, South Africa dominated the opening session, scoring 108/1 at lunch break, with Jordan Harmann (24) and Zubayr Hamza (56) leading the charge after an early breakthrough by Anshul Kamboj, dismissing Lesego Senokwane on a seven-ball duck.
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