The Injury Setback: Star wicketkeeper-batter and captain Rishabh Pant has been officially ruled out of the first two multi-day (four-day) matches against New Zealand A. He sustained a left-side strain while leading the Rest of India during the Irani Cup. Medical Supervision: Pant is currently undergoing rehabilitation and recovery under the direct supervision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Medical Team. Replacement Named: In Pant's absence, young wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra has been named as his replacement for the opening two fixtures. Kushagra will travel with the squad—led by Dhruv Jurel—ahead of the series opener in Lincoln. Series Outlook: Pant's availability for the third and final four-day match remains uncertain and will depend entirely on his fitness progression and medical clearance. India's senior team will also be in New Zealand during October and November for five T20Is, five T20Is and two Tests. Pant is their first-choice wicketkeeper in red-ball cricket but is not in the white-ball running. India A's updated squad for first two unofficial Tests vs New Zealand A Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, R Smaran, Dhruv Jurel (capt, wk), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudharsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra (wk)