Rishabh Pant rested for T20 series against Bangladesh in October

Rishabh Pant, the prominent Indian wicketkeeper-batter, has been rested from the T20 squad for a series against Bangladesh, which begins on October 6 in Guwahati. This decision comes after Pant's return to Test cricket, where he scored a century in Chennai following a 21-month hiatus. The Indian team is preparing for a three-match Test series against New Zealand later in October, prompting the exclusion of several regular players, including Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, from the T20 lineup. The T20 squad will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, featuring new faces such as Mayank Yadav, who had a successful IPL season, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, returning from injury. Abhishek Sharma, who recently scored a T20 hundred, is also back in the team. Varun Chakravarthy receives a call-up after a long absence since the 2021 T20 World Cup. In Pant's absence, Sanju Samson is expected to take on the role of first-choice keeper-batter. The three-match T20 series will take place in Guwahati, Delhi, and Hyderabad on October 6, 9, and 12, respectively. This series serves as a platform for the Indian team to test new players and strategies ahead of the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. The decision to rest key players reflects a strategic approach by the Indian cricket management to manage player workloads and ensure that the team is in optimal condition for the more demanding Test format.