Rishabh Pant has been cleared to play in India's two-Test series against New Zealand, with the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru giving the wicketkeeper-batter the final sign-off on Thursday, 12 November. Pant left for New Zealand early on Thursday morning and will join the Indian Test squad in Wellington on Friday, 13 November, six days before the first Test begins at the Basin Reserve.

It is a big boost for India. Pant's place in the Test squad had been subject to fitness clearance ever since he picked up a side strain while captaining Rest of India in the Irani Cup in early October, and the injury had kept him out of action for more than a month.

How Pant earned his clearance

Pant went through two rounds of fitness and match-simulation tests at the CoE on Tuesday, 10 November and Wednesday, 11 November. Having come through both sessions without any discomfort or stiffness, he was issued his final clearance on Thursday, 12 November, clearing the way for his travel to New Zealand.

The 29-year-old had been rehabilitating at the CoE since 23 October. He was named in both India's Test squad for the New Zealand tour and the India A squad for the four-day matches against New Zealand A, with his inclusion in both made subject to fitness clearance.

Pant missed the first two four-day matches between India A and New Zealand A, and was initially expected to join the team for the third fixture, played from 7 to 10 November. The BCCI medical team instead extended his rehabilitation at the CoE to give him more time for his fitness assessment.

The injury that kept him out

Pant's latest spell on the sidelines began in the Irani Cup in Srinagar, held from 1 to 4 October, where he was captaining the Rest of India side against Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir. He suffered a left-side strain during the match — an abdominal muscle injury that needed more than a month of rehabilitation before he could be cleared for the demands of five-day cricket.

His clearance comes just in time. The two-Test series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, and Pant's aggressive batting and keeping have been central to India's plans whenever he has been fit.

Who else is already in Wellington

Pant will join captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Anshul Kamboj in Wellington. The trio left the ODI squad after the third match of the five-game series to prepare for the Tests, while the rest of the white-ball group stays on for the final two ODIs at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on 13 and 15 November.

India already lead the ODI series 2-0, with the third ODI at Seddon Park in Hamilton washed out without a ball bowled. A first ODI series win in New Zealand since the 2018-19 season is now within reach for the visitors.

The Test series ahead

The two-Test series starts at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on 19 November and runs to 23 November. The second Test is at Hagley Oval in Christchurch from 27 November to 1 December. Both matches carry World Test Championship points, and with Pant now cleared, India will have their first-choice wicketkeeper-batter available from the start of the series.

New Zealand, meanwhile, have named their own 14-man squad for the series, with Tom Latham leading a side that includes Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips and Nathan Smith, all of whom have already left the ODI camp for the Test build-up.

FAQs

Has Rishabh Pant been cleared for the New Zealand Tests?

Yes. The BCCI Centre of Excellence cleared Pant on Thursday, 12 November after two fitness and match-simulation tests on 10 and 11 November. He left for New Zealand early on Thursday and will join the Indian Test squad in Wellington on Friday, 13 November.

What injury did Rishabh Pant suffer?

Pant suffered a left-side strain while captaining Rest of India in the Irani Cup in Srinagar, held from 1 to 4 October 2026. He had been rehabilitating at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru since 23 October.

When does the India vs New Zealand Test series start?

The first Test is at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from 19 to 23 November, and the second Test is at Hagley Oval in Christchurch from 27 November to 1 December. Both Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

Was Pant in the original Test squad?

Yes. Pant was named in India's Test squad for the New Zealand tour, and also in the India A squad for the four-day matches against New Zealand A, with his inclusion in both subject to fitness clearance. He missed the first two India A matches while completing his rehabilitation.

Who else has joined the Test squad in Wellington?

Captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Anshul Kamboj left the ODI squad after the third ODI to prepare for the Tests. The rest of the ODI group stays on for the fourth and fifth ODIs at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on 13 and 15 November.

Conclusion

After more than a month on the sidelines, Rishabh Pant is fit again — and just in time. Two clean match-simulation tests at the CoE earned him his clearance, and he will be in Wellington on Friday to join a Test squad that needed its first-choice wicketkeeper-batter back. The Basin Reserve on 19 November is now the next stop, with India chasing World Test Championship points and Pant chasing a return to the five-day game he has been missing since October.

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Sources: The Tribune (ANI) — Rishabh Pant gets BCCI CoE's fitness clearance, leaves for New Zealand, Business Standard — Rishabh Pant cleared for NZ Tests