NEW DELHI: India A captain Rishabh Pant provided relief to the team management and fans alike after he returned to bat later in the day, easing injury concerns that arose when he was forced to retire hurt during the third day of the four-day match against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Saturday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Pant, who was batting on 17 off 22 balls, had to walk off during the morning session after being struck multiple times by South African pacer Tshepo Moreki. The left-hander was hit flush on the helmet while attempting a reverse pull, then on the right elbow, and finally on the abdomen — each blow leaving him visibly in pain. Team physios attended to him on all three occasions before head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar decided to call him back to the pavilion as a precautionary measure, despite Pant’s willingness to continue.Following his exit, Dhruv Jurel came in as the replacement batter while Pant was seen with his left arm strapped. An official from the team later confirmed that Pant could return if required, and true to that, he came out to bat again after the dismissal of Harsh Dubey — a reassuring sign ahead of India’s upcoming Test series against South Africa.

Pant’s temporary retirement had caused a stir as he is part of India’s senior squad for the two-Test home series against South Africa, beginning on November 14 in Kolkata, followed by the second match in Guwahati from November 22.The India A skipper has been working his way back to full fitness after a fractured toe injury in July. Earlier in the series, he struck a fluent 90 in the opening match, marking a confident return to red-ball cricket. His decision to resume batting on Saturday reaffirmed his commitment and resilience — offering a major sigh of relief for India’s selectors and fans ahead of the marquee home Tests.