Team India’s Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant has made his competitive return to cricket in the ongoing India A vs South Africa A unofficial Test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. The wicketkeeper-batter was sidelined for over three months following a foot fracture during the England tour earlier this year.
Pant had been ruled out of the Oval Test, the Asia Cup 2025, the West Indies Test series, and the ongoing white-ball series in Australia. His recovery phase included an extended stay at the CoE for rehabilitation under the supervision of BCCI’s medical team.
Speaking in a video shared by the BCCI, Pant described the physical and mental toll of the injury. “It was really challenging for me. I had that fracture in England and had to go through the whole process. The first part of the process was healing. For the first six weeks, you have to heal the fracture, and then you come to the CoE. The healing went well."
He explained how his rehab progressed gradually. “I started my rehab slowly. Went through a bit of physio work in the initial days. Then slowly moved towards working on my strength, and from there started the second phase. Right now I am here with you, fully recovered, thanks to CoE for that.”
Following his injury in the England series, Rishabh Pant underwent an intensive rehabilitation program at the BCCI Centre of Excellence 👍 👍
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 31, 2025
The focus extended beyond physical recovery, with equal emphasis on mental conditioning and match readiness.
With the support of the CoE… pic.twitter.com/8qB1SKjiNp
Pant also spoke about the role of maintaining a positive mindset during recovery. “Being positive is really a mindset thing. During injury, you tend to get demotivated. The energy levels are not great; you are frustrated. But if you can do small things that make you feel good, you have to do that also. Especially when you are injured.”
Pant returned to the field as captain of India A in the first unofficial Test. He kept wickets in the first innings and later scored 17 off 20 balls during India A’s reply to South Africa A’s total of 309. India A were bowled out for 234 and trailed by 75 runs. The visitors managed 199 in their second innings, setting India A a target of 275.
This two-match unofficial Test series is being treated as part of India’s preparation for the upcoming Test tour of South Africa, starting November 14.
Pant’s comeback holds particular importance considering his strong run of form earlier this year in England, where he scored 479 runs in seven innings at an average of 68.42, including two centuries and three fifties, before the injury halted his momentum. With his return, India’s Test setup regains a key figure ahead of a crucial overseas assignment.