Rishabh Pant is all set to lead India in the second and final Test against South Africa in Guwahati, with regular skipper Shubman Gill missing out due to a neck injury. 

The 28-year-old Pant, who has played 48 Tests for India so far, will become India’s 38th Test captain as the hosts look to bounce back from a defeat in Kolkata in the first Test and level the two-match series as part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27. 

Pant revealed that he was honoured by the responsibility given to him but wants to keep things simple as he looks to lead India out of a tricky situation in the series. 

“I want to thank BCCI for giving me this opportunity. I’m really happy. But at the same time I am not overthinking about it,” Pant said in a press conference on Friday.

“We all know how we play cricket and how we want to conduct ourselves on the pitch. It’s been a tough Test match, the last one and coming out of it and we just want to do whatever is required to win this Test match and focus on that,” he added. 

All eyes will be on the Pant, who is known for his swashbuckling style with the bat. When asked about his approach to leading the team, Pant was measured in his response. He is keen to keep things balanced and not get overawed by the occasion. 

“I want to be someone who gives that freedom. I want people and players to learn around and make the right decision for the team eventually,” he said. 

“I want to keep a mixture of both, being conventional also helps and also adding that outside-the-box thinking also works out. For me, it’s all about finding that balance between conventional and outside-the-box thinking and definitely back my instinct,” he added. 

Rishabh Pant Provides Key Update On Shubman Gill

The stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant also gave an update on Shubman Gill’s fitness, while also praising his attitude of giving his all to be fit for the crucial Guwahati Test.  

“He (Shubman Gill) is doing fine, he is getting better. He was very keen on playing this Test match even though his body didn’t allow it,” Pant said. 

“From a captain’s point-of-view, (when) you see that the person who is leading your team has that resilience even if his body is not supporting, but the thought that you want to push it for the team and you want to play for the team is the kind of mindset that we want to inculcate in the team and he did it from the front,” he added. 

Gill’s absence means India will have to dip into their reserves to find a replacement. Sai Sudarshan and Devdutt are the two options at their disposal to fill that void, but Pant remained tight-lipped about their choice for that role in Guwahati but gave a peek into the team’s thinking.

“It’s about balance sometimes for the team combination. You have to see if a specialised player is helping more or if an all-rounder is giving more stability. It’s all about finding the team balance and the way you want to play cricket,” he said.

Why Guwahati Is A Special Venue For Rishabh Pant?

Notably, Guwahati will become India’s 30th Test venue after it hosts its first-ever Test match against South Africa from Saturday and the stadium already holds a special significance for Pant. 

“I feel this ground will always have a special place in my heart. I made my One-Day debut here and will also be making my Test captaincy debut here. I feel this is special for the entire Guwahati (city). So, everyone has that special feeling coming here,” said Pant. 

“I think this wicket will play better, definitely it is a better wicket to bat on. Obviously, it will eventually turn after a few days but it is going to be a good contest,” he added. 

India will be under pressure to level the series and avoid a second defeat in their last three home series after they suffered a shock 0-3 loss at the hands of New Zealand last year, and Pant doesn’t want the team to take undue pressure. 

“We feel (that) at this top level, playing international cricket, you are going to be put under pressure like this that you might be 0-1 down in the series,” the stand-in Indian skipper said. 

“But as a team we don’t want to dwell too much on the result every time we play cricket. Regardless of (the fact) that if we are 1-0 up or they are 1-0 up, we still have to give our 200% when we step on the field because you need to keep it simple, not take undue pressure, just go out there and try to do your best,” he added. 

India have a task at hand to avoid a first home series defeat at the hands of South Africa in over 25 years and Pant who is leading the Test team for the first time would want to make a winning start to his Test captaincy career.