India’s cricket team has announced their squad for the upcoming three-match T20 series against Bangladesh, with star player Rishabh Pant being rested. Pant, who recently made a remarkable comeback to test cricket with a century in Chennai, has been given time off to prepare for the upcoming test series against New Zealand in October. Along with Pant, several other test regulars including Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, and Khaleel Ahmed have also been left out of the T20 squad in preparation for the New Zealand series.

In the absence of Pant, Sanju Samson, a key player in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad, will take on the role of the first-choice keeper-batter. The team will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, who captained the new-look T20 side during their recent tour in Sri Lanka. Pacer Mayank Yadav, who impressed during the last season of the Indian Premier League with Lucknow Super Giants, has been included in the squad. The coaching staff, led by Gautam Gambhir, has shown confidence in Yadav’s abilities after his standout performance in the IPL.

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made headlines with his performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad, has earned a spot in the squad after missing out on the Zimbabwe T20 series due to injury. Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma, who scored a maiden T20 hundred against Zimbabwe, also makes a return to the squad after being left out of the Sri Lanka tour. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who last played in the Twenty20 World Cup in 2021, has been given a fresh opportunity in the T20 squad against Bangladesh.

The upcoming T20 series against Bangladesh is scheduled to take place on October 6, 9, and 12 in Guwahati, Delhi, and Hyderabad, respectively. The team is looking to continue their winning momentum as they gear up for the series against New Zealand later in the month. The squad includes a mix of experienced players and promising newcomers, emphasizing India’s depth in talent across all formats of the game.