The Senior Men’s Selection Committee has selected India A’s side for two four-day matches against South Africa at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The most notable news from the squad announcement is the return of ace wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant to cricket after a three-month absence.
Pant, who suffered a toe fracture in the fourth Test of the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy earlier this year, will return to professional cricket after completing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The Haridwar-born player missed two games against the West Indies due to an injury and did not play in Delhi’s inaugural Ranji Trophy game against Hyderabad in 2025-26.
Ayush Badoni and Ayush Mhatre make their debuts in the India A team, while all-rounder Saransh Jain earns a spot after his recent Duleep Trophy heroics for Central Zone. Apart from Saransh, the other spin-bowling all-rounders in the 13-man roster for the first match are Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, and Manav Suthar.
The second match will also feature KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Dhruv Jurel, who is currently in Australia for a multi-format series with the national team, will also be available for the second game. Jurel led India A in the series against Australia A, but the selectors have chosen Sai Sudharsan as vice-captain for the South African assignment.
India A Squads
India A squad for the 1st four-day match: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Ayush Mhatre, N Jagdeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Ayush Badoni, Saransh Jain
India A squad for the 2nd four-day match: Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sai Sudharsan (VC), Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
India A vs South Africa A 2025 — Schedule, Venues, Dates, and Timings
| Match | Date | Time (IST) | Venue |
| 1st Multi-Day Match | October 30-November 02 | 9:30 AM | BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru |
| 2nd Multi-Day Match | November 06-November 09 | 9:30 AM | BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru |
India
