Rishabh Pant ruled out of first two India A matches

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Rishabh Pant will miss the first two multi-day matches of India A’s tour of New Zealand after suffering a left-side strain during the Irani Cup. Kumar Kushagra has been named as his replacement for the opening two fixtures against New Zealand A.

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Pant’s selection was subject to fitness after he captained Rest of India in the Irani Cup. The source report says the wicketkeeper-batter remains under the supervision of the BCCI medical team and is recovering well.

Pant’s availability for the third match remains uncertain

India’s selectors will decide later whether Pant can take part in the third multi-day match. No return date has been confirmed.

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Kushagra gives India A another wicketkeeping option alongside India A captain Dhruv Jurel for the first two matches. The three-match series begins in Lincoln on October 24, 2026, before moving to Christchurch and then returning to Lincoln.

India A vs New Zealand A schedule

India A will play three multi-day matches at Lincoln and Christchurch between October 24 and November 10, 2026.

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Match Dates Venue
First multi-day match October 24-27, 2026 Lincoln
Second multi-day match October 31-November 3, 2026 Christchurch
Third multi-day match November 7-10, 2026 Lincoln

India A squad for the New Zealand tour

Dhruv Jurel will captain an India A squad with several players who have senior international experience. Kumar Kushagra is included for the first and second matches.

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Wicketkeepers: Dhruv Jurel, Kumar Kushagra (first and second matches)

Batters: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod

All-rounders: Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar

Bowlers: Akash Deep, Mukesh Choudhary, Mukesh Kumar

The multi-day series will give the India A squad red-ball match time in New Zealand conditions. Pant’s possible involvement in the final fixture depends on a later fitness decision.