Rishabh Pant is likely to play for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy opener against Bengal in Kalyani. The tournament starts on October 11. Before this, Pant will lead the Rest of India in the Irani Cup on October 1. These matches help him prepare for upcoming Test series against New Zealand.
Rishabh Pant is likely to turn out for Delhi in its opening game of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season against Bengal in Kalyani, adding another red-ball outing to his calendar ahead of a busy international schedule.
Pant will first lead the Rest of India against defending Ranji Trophy champion Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Cup, which begins in Srinagar on October 1. The Ranji Trophy gets underway on October 11.
The possible appearance for Delhi will be significant given Pant's limited Ranji Trophy cricket in recent years. He played just one game last season, against Saurashtra. Before that, he had not featured in the competition since leading Delhi in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha in Indore.
That makes the Irani Cup and a potential Ranji outing useful opportunities for Pant to spend time in the middle in the format in which he has made his biggest impact. Since his Test debut in 2018, no India batter has scored more Test runs than Pant, while only Ravindra Jadeja has come close to his tally of 21 scores of 50 or more.
Pant's place in India's white-ball squads has become less secure, but his Test credentials remain firmly established. India's next Test assignment comes against New Zealand, with the first of two Tests beginning in Wellington on November 19. The team will then host Australia for a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy from January 2027.
Pant's return to domestic cricket also comes amid the BCCI's push for India players to turn out in domestic competitions when available. Last season, he was part of a star-studded Delhi squad alongside Virat Kohli after the board made domestic participation mandatory for national selection.