Overview
- Pant ended a three-month injury layoff by playing the first four-day match against South Africa A at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence.
- He captained India A and wore the No. 18 jersey associated with Virat Kohli, drawing wide online attention.
- A senior BCCI official has stated that India A jerseys do not carry fixed numbers and that only international kits are considered sacrosanct.
- Fans had urged the board to retire No. 18 after Kohli’s Test retirement in May, and Mukesh Kumar’s use of the number for India A in June drew backlash.
- Pant’s appearance is being viewed as a step toward a Test recall before next month’s South Africa series, with some reports suggesting he could replace Dhruv Jurel.