Rishabh Pant suffers fresh injury scare ahead of Test comeback vs South Africa

India’s star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has yet again gotten injured, and that too just ahead of the much-awaited two-match Test series against South Africa later this month. Rishabh Pant has recently made a comeback to competitive cricket after his lengthy recovery from a foot injury.

He was ruled out of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy after hitting his foot, and then recovery ruled him out of the Asia Cup 2025 and the ongoing white-ball tour of Australia. Now, the explosive left-handed batter is preparing for the home season.

Rishabh Pant suffers injury scare ahead of South Africa Test series

Pant is currently leading India A in the unofficial Test series against South Africa A in Bengaluru. During the second unofficial test, the Indian wicketkeeper scared everyone after getting a blow. Actually, India's preparations for the upcoming Test series against South Africa suffered a major scare on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru.

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The India A captain, who was looking to regain his form, faced a nasty blow on his fingers while batting. After taking on-field treatment, Pant fell on the very next ball while trying to go over mid-off, leaving concerns over his fitness just weeks before the upcoming Test series in South Africa.

🚨 Rishabh Pant took a nasty blow on his fingers during Day 1 of the 2nd unofficial Test vs South Africa A! 😣

Got treated… and fell the very next ball trying to go over mid-off! 💔

🇮🇳 India A : 86/5 after 26 overs! #INDvsSA #RishabhPant #Test #Cricket | 📸 : JioStar pic.twitter.com/GleXAvPsQx

— OneCricket (@OneCricketApp) November 6, 2025

India's top order falters as KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Sai Sudharsan struggle

The rest of India A’s batting lineup struggled as well. The top five collapsed for a mere 86 runs, highlighting both poor form and lack of momentum. KL Rahul, showing glimpses of fluency, was dismissed for 19, while Abhimanyu Easwaran failed to get off the mark, departing for a duck.

Sai Sudharsan faced 52 balls to score only 17, and Devdutt Padikkal managed just 5 runs. Pant tried to counterattack, hitting three boundaries and a six, but his injury in the 26th over curtailed his innings prematurely. This performance raises red flags for India ahead of the South Africa tour.

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Dhruv Jurel shines again, stakes claim for India's middle order spot

Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel is emerging as one of India’s most promising young batters, making a strong case for a permanent role in the senior Test side. His recent performances have been nothing short of sensational, with scores of 124, 44, and an unbeaten 6 showcasing his consistency.

With Rishabh Pant's return to the Test side, Jurel is now seeing himself as a specialist batter rather than just a backup keeper. The competition for a spot in the middle order is heating up, with Jurel likely to battle it out with Nitish Kumar Reddy if India decides to add a dedicated batter at No. 6 instead of an all-rounder.

On Thursday, Jurel once again proved his worth. He played a brilliant innings and reached his fourth first-class century, three of which have come since June. Only months ago, he had scored a remarkable hundred against Australia A in Lucknow. India A were eventually bowled out for 255, with Prasidh Krishna falling last, caught off a return catch to left-arm seamer Tiaan van Vuren, who finished with four wickets.