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Rishabh Pant makes a special request to BCCI ahead of New Zealand Test series

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India with a request to feature in a pair of India A matches ahead of the senior team's upcoming tour of New Zealand. Pant aims to secure valuable red-ball match practice and acclimatize to overseas conditions following recent fitness setbacks that included a high fever during the Irani Cup and a minor side strain that kept him out of Delhi's Ranji Trophy opener against Bengal.

The New Zealand itinerary runs from October 22 to December 1 and features three four-day fixtures for the A side prior to the main two-match Test series. Interim selection committee head Pragyan Ojha and head coach Gautam Gambhir are currently preparing to finalize the touring squads amidst broader workload and fitness evaluations.

Pant heads into this upcoming overseas challenge on the back of several strong red-ball outings, which include a 63-run knock against Sri Lanka in Colombo following scores of 39 and 66 in Galle, alongside an 81-run innings against Afghanistan earlier in June 2026. Across his last four Test appearances, the middle-order batter has accumulated 249 runs at a 62.30 average and a 73.00 strike rate.

Over the course of his 52-Test career, he has amassed 3,725 runs at an average of 43.82, contributing eight centuries, 21 fifties, 166 catches, and 18 stumpings since his debut.

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