India National Cricket Team’s star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is all set to miss another competition due to his injury troubles after missing out on the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE. After the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, India will host the West Indies and then travel to Australia.
They are scheduled to play a two-match Test series against the West Indies starting October 2 in Ahmedabad, and the national selectors are set to name a 15-member squad on September 24 for the home series, which is two fewer than the squad for the New Zealand Tests last year.
Rishabh Pant unlikely for the West Indies Test series
Before the big announcement, the Shubman Gill-led Indian Test team suffered a major setback as the hosts will be without Rishabh Pant for the two-match Test series against the West Indies. The star wicketkeeper-batter is yet to recover from the foot injury.
Read Also: Haris Rauf gets support from Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif after 6-0 gesture; ICC to be involved?
Notably, Rishabh Pant fractured his left foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester earlier this year. Despite bravely coming out to bat in the Manchester Test, Rishabh Pant could not continue and was replaced by N. Jagadeesan for the fifth and final at the Oval.
Currently, Rishabh Pant is undergoing strength and conditioning at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. As reported by ESPNCricinfo, the medical team has not provided a clear timeline to the national selectors for Pant’s return, which means India will have to move forward without him for now.
Pant, who was India’s vice-captain in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, is likely to return to action with the white-ball tour of Australia beginning October 19. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will also make their much-awaited comeback on India’s upcoming tour of Australia.
Dhruv Jurel set to replace Rishabh Pant for West Indies Tests
Meanwhile, the in-form wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel is expected to replace Pant in India’s Test squad for the upcoming home series against the West Indies.
Read Also: “Will see how Abhishek Sharma hits him”- Shoaib Akhtar’s open challenge for next IND vs PAK match
Jurel impressed on the England tour in Pant’s absence, and he is currently keeping wicket for India A in the second and final red-ball match against Australia A in Lucknow. He had smashed a stunning century (140) and helped India A to draw the first red-ball game against Australia A.
N Jagadeesan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Nitish Kumar Reddy set for India recall
It is being said that N Jagadeesan could be drafted in as the backup wicketkeeper if the Indian selectors go for the second specialist option. The selection committee is also keeping an eye on fresh faces for the batting order.
Devdutt Padikkal has forced his way into the selection conversation with a brilliant 150 for India A against Australia A in Lucknow.
Apart from Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy is another name in contention. Reddy has already played seven tests for India, but the all-rounder has been battling a knee injury since the England tour.
Nitish Kumar Reddy missed the first red-ball game against Australia A, but he is named in the India A’s playing XI in the ongoing second unofficial Test in Lucknow.
Notably, the upcoming India-West Indies Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle.
India is currently sitting in third place in the WTC 2025-27 points table after their hard-fought 2-2 draw in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.
On the other hand, the West Indies are struggling in sixth after losing all three of their matches so far.