Ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series between India and Bangladesh, Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Vice President Rajdeep Oja has been appointed as a match observer. He will oversee the proceedings of the first Test to be held in Chennai.
The first match of the IDFC First Bank Test series is set to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium and is scheduled to begin on September 19.
"ACA is pleased to share that Shri Rajdeep Oja, Assam Cricket Association's Vice President, has been appointed as a match observer for the 1st Test of the IDFC FIRST Bank Test series: India vs Bangladesh, taking place from September 19-23 in M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai," a statement read.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh on Sunday with Rishabh Pant making a return. This will be his first Test appearance in nearly 20 months following his injury.
Rohit Sharma will lead the team, with Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah also included in the squad. Young pacer Yash Dayal has received his maiden call-up, and Akash Deep is also in the squad.
Pant's last Test appearance was against Bangladesh in Mirpur in December 2022, shortly before his accident on December 30. He made his return to high-level cricket in the IPL this year and played a role in India's T20 World Cup-winning campaign.
Despite earlier expectations, Mohammed Shami did not make the Test squad, although chief selector Ajit Agarkar had hinted at his potential return.
India’s Test season begins with this two-match series against Bangladesh, with the first Test held in Chennai from September 19. The second Test will take place at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium from September 27 to October 1.
India has a strong record against Bangladesh in Test cricket, having won 11 of the 13 matches played, with two draws. Bangladesh enters this series on a high, having recently secured a historic 2-0 victory over Pakistan, while India last played Test cricket in early 2024, defeating England 4-1 at home.
India's squad for the first Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.