Star Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant is unlikely to feature in the third unofficial 'A' Test scheduled from November 7-10 in Lincoln. The wicketkeeper-batsman, a key figure in India's overseas Test campaigns, has not yet received fitness clearance following a side strain sustained during the Irani Cup match in Srinagar last month.

Pant is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He must pass a mandatory fitness test before rejoining the squad for any competitive match. His initial fitness assessment was unsuccessful, and a crucial second test is slated for November 9, effectively ruling him out of the upcoming 'A' team fixture.

Sources within the BCCI indicate that the 28-year-old, known for his Test centuries in England, Australia, and South Africa, is expected to join the main Indian Test squad directly in Wellington if he clears his second fitness evaluation in the coming days. This strategic decision aims to provide him ample recovery time.

“Pant's chances of playing in the third unofficial Test against New Zealand A are very slim. The team management wants to give him a few more days to recover so that he can join the Test series squad and practice in Wellington. The situation will become clear only after the second fitness test,” a BCCI source told PTI, emphasizing the team's priority on his full recovery for the crucial Test series.

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