Indian Sports Highlights: Pant's Return, Women's Cricket Team Felicitation, and IND vs AUS T20I Action
Major developments in Indian sports have captured attention over the last 24 hours, with significant news from cricket and chess.
Cricket: Rishabh Pant Returns, Women's Team Honored, and T20I Series Heats Up
In a much-anticipated comeback, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been named in India's Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against South Africa, starting November 14 in Kolkata. He will also serve as the vice-captain for the series. Pant has been out of action since fracturing his foot during the Test series in England earlier this year. His return to competitive cricket began with leading India A, where he scored 90 in an unofficial Test against South Africa A. Notably, senior fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been omitted from the Test squad despite recent strong performances in the Ranji Trophy.
The victorious Indian Women's Cricket Team, who recently clinched their first-ever World Cup title, received a grand felicitation. They met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and are scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu, marking a significant recognition of their historic achievement.
The Indian Men's Cricket Team is currently engaged in the 4th T20 International against Australia in Carrara, Queensland, on November 6, 2025. The series is evenly poised at 1-1, and India is aiming to take a crucial lead. Opener Shubman Gill is under the spotlight, looking to regain his form after an underwhelming tour.
Meanwhile, Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has openly sought advice from South African legend AB de Villiers on how to effectively balance T20 and ODI formats, admitting his T20 success hasn't consistently translated to the 50-over game.
Adding to the cricket news, Anvay Dravid, son of India's head coach Rahul Dravid, has been selected for the India Under-19 Challenger Trophy squad, highlighting his progress in junior-level cricket.
Chess: Indian Grandmaster Shines
In the world of chess, Indian Grandmaster Diptayan Ghosh created a stir by defeating two-time World Championship contender Ian Nepomniachtchi in the Chess World Cup.