Rishabh Pant to depart for New Zealand on Thursday, major relief for Team India

Very significant news has emerged for the Indian Test team. Star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has become fit for the New Zealand tour and will depart for New Zealand on Thursday, November 12. With Pant's return, the Indian team is expected to gain substantial strength in both the middle-order batting and wicketkeeping departments.

According to a report by The Times of India, before departing for New Zealand, Pant is scheduled to participate in a mandatory match simulation session on Wednesday at the Centre of Excellence (CoE). His progress and fitness will be finally assessed during this session. As per TV9 Gujarati, the medical staff is satisfied with Pant's recovery process, which has now largely cleared the path for his return.

According to reports, 29-year-old Pant suffered a side strain injury while playing for 'Rest of India' in the Irani Cup. Following this injury, he was included in the India-A team based on his fitness. The India-A team was to play an unofficial Test match, and Pant had expressed his desire to play, but he was not fully fit at that time. He could not play in that match as he did not receive the necessary 'Return to Play' (RTP) certificate from the Centre of Excellence.

Currently, Pant is completely fit and is undergoing intensive practice in match-like conditions at the Centre of Excellence. According to sources, another round is scheduled for Wednesday. After successfully completing these two sessions, he will fly to Wellington on November 12. The rest of the Indian Test squad has already reached New Zealand. Pant will have approximately one week to complete his preparations before the first Test match starting in Wellington from November 19.

The main question now facing the team management will be whether to give Pant a direct place in the playing eleven or to give him time for practice and match fitness first. On the other hand, Dhruv Jureli has gained experience in New Zealand conditions by batting brilliantly for India-A, so it will be interesting to see who gets selected as the wicketkeeper.

Pant's record on New Zealand soil has not been particularly impressive. He has scored only 60 runs in the two Test matches played here. However, his record on other foreign grounds is extremely splendid. Pant has scored 879 Test runs in Australia and 1,035 in England. Additionally, he has 186 runs, including one century, in South Africa. Among the SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), he has already hit Test centuries in Australia, England, and South Africa.

Rishabh Pant is an experienced player of the Indian team and possesses experience playing Test cricket in New Zealand, as he toured New Zealand with the Indian team in 2020. His return will boost Team India's confidence and bring more aggression to the middle order.

Rishabh Pant has played a total of 52 Test matches so far. During this period, he has scored runs at an average of over 43, which includes 8 centuries and 21 half-centuries. He is a left-handed batsman and is known for his aggressive batting style.