Rishabh Pant could make his comeback in cricket and return to action in the second round edition of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, after his foot injury in the 5 Test match series against England. This was assessed when Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the India vs West Indies Test series.

Pant has fractured his right foot in Old Trafford, is in his final stretch of rehab and is very soon to undergo a fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, later this week. His foot was taken out of the cast more than a week ago, and his mobility is well, as he has resumed his batting.

If everything goes well, Rishabh Pant will play in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy for Delhi, in the away game at Hyderabad. According to a BCCI source who told TOI, Pant has said he should be available for the Ranji Trophy matches in Delhi from Oct 25. He has conveyed that it will be subject to fitness and clearance obtained from the BCCI medical team.”

Rishabh Pant’s hopeful return in India vs South Africa Test series

While announcing the Test squad for West Indies, chief selector Ajit Agarkar is expecting Pant to return to Tests in November, in the India vs South Africa Test series.

"With regards to Rishabh, I don't think he's quite made this series. He won't be ready, but like I said, we're hopeful that by the time South Africa comes around, he's 100% fit. Exact timelines... I know he's not going to make these two Test matches, but after that, he's very close to getting fit."

With Pant unavailable, India has chosen Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan as the wicketkeepers for the current Test series against the West Indies. Pant is also absent for the white-ball series in Australia from October 19 onwards as he is yet to receive a "return to play" certificate from the CoE.

Pant will likely lead Delhi for the length of time he is available. For now, the squad will be led by Ayush Badoni, Pant's IPL team-mate at the Lucknow Super Giants.