Rishabh Pant discussed taking over from Shubman Gill in the second Test between India and South Africa. The Indian captain has been ruled out of the match, which will take place at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on November 22.

Gill developed a neck spasm on the second day of the first Test in Kolkata. He retired hurt and was later ruled out of the Test match after being admitted to the hospital for treatment. India lost the first Test by 30 runs, with Rishabh Pant taking over as captain.

Shubman Gill flew to Guwahati for the Indian team's second Test, and it was claimed that he was doing all possible to play the game.

However, the BCCI formally announced on November 21, 2025, the eve of the second Test, that Shubman Gill would not play and that Rishabh Pant, the deputy captain, would captain the Indian team.

Rishabh Pant acknowledged on Friday that captaining in a single Test is not the "best scenario," but he is unconcerned about the challenge posed by a close-knit South Africa in this second Test. Pant has only captained India previously in T20Is, also against South Africa.

“A one-off match is not the best scenario for a captain, but I am thankful to BCCI for giving me this honor. Sometimes, if you think too much about a big occasion, it doesn’t help. I don’t want to overthink. We had a tough first test, and we need to do whatever is required to win the test," Pant said at the pre-match press conference on Friday.

Pant said that the Indian team management had already selected Gill's replacement for the match, but he did not reveal who it was. Sai Sudarshan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Nitish Kumar Reddy are India's three possibilities to succeed Shubman Gill.

“We have decided on who will play in place of Shubman. The person who will play knows he is playing. I want to be conventional and also blend with out-of-the-box thinking. Want to have a nice balance… We have to keep things simple, and the team that plays better cricket will win it,” Pant said.

Pant also praised Gill for his efforts to be available for the crucial game.

“Shubman was keen to play the match. He showed resilience even when his body was not permitting, and that’s the attitude you want to see. I am having a chat with Gill every day. I got to know about the captaincy yesterday evening," he said.

South Africa will have the chance to win a historic Test series in India, their first since 2000, if they win.

(TOI inputs)