Kumar Kushagra Replaces Rishabh Pant in India A Squad

India have suffered a notable setback ahead of their shadow tour of New Zealand, with regular Test wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant ruled out of the opening two multi-day fixtures due to an injury. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has named young wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra as his replacement for those matches.

Pant sustained a left side strain while captaining the Rest of India team against Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Cup. The discomfort prevented him from keeping wickets in the second innings and forced Sarfaraz Khan to step in as stand-in captain on the final day. While Pant continues his rehabilitation under the supervision of the medical team, a final decision on his availability for the third match will be made at a later stage.

Kumar Kushagra Earns Major Call-Up After Domestic Brilliance

Pant’s setback presents a golden opportunity for Kumar Kushagra, who joins Dhruv Jurel as a wicketkeeping option in the India A squad. The 21-year-old Jharkhand batter has been among the consistent performers in domestic cricket. He impressed in the 2026 Duleep Trophy final, scoring 101 runs off 132 balls, including eight fours and five sixes, for East Zone against South Zone. Batting alongside Ishan Kishan, who smashed 270, Kushagra played an important role in helping East Zone post a massive 708 in their first innings.

He also strengthened his case for higher honours with another first-class century against Australia A in Puducherry. With New Zealand’s conditions offering bounce and seam movement, Kushagra now has an opportunity to impress the selectors and move closer to a place in the senior Indian team.

Recurring Fitness Hurdles for Rishabh Pant

Pant was expected to feature in the India A matches to regain match fitness and get accustomed to New Zealand conditions ahead of the senior team’s Test series. However, injuries have repeatedly interrupted his cricket in recent times.

During India’s 2025 Test series against England, Pant suffered a left index finger injury in the third Test at Lord’s after being struck by a Jasprit Bumrah delivery while keeping wickets. His troubles continued in the fourth Test at Manchester, where he fractured his right foot while attempting a reverse sweep against Chris Woakes. Although he returned to score a fighting half-century, the injury eventually ruled him out of the fifth Test at The Oval and the subsequent home Test series against the West Indies.

Now, Pant has suffered another setback after sustaining a left-side strain while representing Rest of India in the 2026 Irani Cup. The injury has ruled him out of the first two India A matches against New Zealand A, raising fresh concerns about his fitness ahead of India’s upcoming Test assignments.

India A Tour of New Zealand Schedule

India A will face New Zealand A in three multi-day matches, which serve as essential preparation for several Test regulars.

Updated India A Squad

The revised squad includes senior Test players looking for game time alongside promising domestic stars:

Dhruv Jurel (Captain, WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra (WK, 1st and 2nd matches).