Rishabh Pant has received fitness clearance for India’s upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand, providing a major boost to the visitors ahead of the opening match in Wellington. The wicketkeeper-batter was included in India’s squad subject to fitness approval after sustaining an injury while representing the Rest of India against Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Cup last month.
However, on Thursday, November 12, Rishabh Pant was declared fit and is now available for selection for the first Test, which begins on November 19. His return will be particularly important for India, considering his experience and contributions with the bat in the longest format. The opening Test will be played at Basin Reserve in Wellington from November 19 to 23, while Hagley Oval in Christchurch will host the second match from November 27 to December 1.
Pant remains India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in Test cricket and is expected to take responsibility behind the stumps in the series opener. However, if the team management decides to manage his workload and rest him for the first match, Dhruv Jurel is the likely alternative.
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Jurel recently captained India A in the three unofficial Tests against New Zealand A, played between October 24 and November 10. The young wicketkeeper impressed with a century in the second match and a half-century in the third.
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Good news for India!
Rishabh Pant declared fit for two-match Test series against New Zealand.
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— News18 CricketNext (@cricketnext) November 12, 2026
Meanwhile, Rishabh will have an opportunity to achieve two significant milestones during the upcoming series. He is currently India’s leading run-scorer in the World Test Championship (WTC), having accumulated 2,948 runs in 42 matches. The left-handed batter needs just 52 more runs to become the first Indian to reach the 3,000-run milestone in the competition.
The 28-year-old could also surpass former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist’s record for the most runs by a designated wicketkeeper-batter in away Tests.
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Pant has scored 2,489 runs in 35 away Tests, while Adam Gilchrist finished his career with 2,512 runs in 38 such matches. The Indian needs just 24 runs to overtake the Australian legend and claim the record. Furthermore, Pant requires 163 runs across the two Tests against New Zealand to break the record for the most runs by a designated wicketkeeper-batter in away and neutral Tests combined.
