The Indian Cricket Board has announced the squad for the first Test against Bangladesh. The team will be led by captain Rohit Sharma. Rishabh Pant has also made a return.
Pant last played a Test match against Bangladesh, which took place in Mirpur. After that match, he was involved in a car accident while driving back home from Delhi. After a hiatus since 2022, Pant is back in the Test squad.
During the break, Pant had played for India in the T20 World Cup and was also seen in the IPL, but those were white-ball matches. Now, he makes a comeback in red-ball cricket as well. Dhruv Jurel has been included as the second wicketkeeper.
The Indian board announced the Test squad against Bangladesh in the middle of the Duleep Trophy. India will field a full-strength team against Bangladesh. Besides Rohit, Yashasvi Jaiswal is included as an opener. Shubman Gill is likely to play at number three. Virat Kohli also makes a return, and KL Rahul has secured a spot in the team. However, Shreyas Iyer has not been included, with Sarfaraz Khan chosen for the middle order.
The squad includes four spinners: Ravichandran Ashwin, along with two left-handed all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav is also in the squad. Along with the spinners, four pacers have been selected.
However, Mohammad Shami is still not fit and has not been included in the team. The pace attack comprises Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Yash Dayal. Akash had previously played one Test, against England. He has now earned a spot in the squad against Bangladesh as well, thanks to his strong performance in the Duleep Trophy.
India’s Test Squad:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.
