Rishabh Pant’s ODI future uncertain ahead of New Zealand series

Rishabh Pant’s ODI future looks uncertain ahead of the New Zealand series starting January 11 in Vadodara. With KL Rahul established, Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel in contention, selectors face a tough call on Pant’s place in the squad

New Delhi: Rishabh Pant’s form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy has been patchy with just one half-century in four matches. But if he is dropped for the upcoming New Zealand series without being given even one ODI game in the last 18 months, it could be seen as harsh from the Ajit Agarkar-led committee.

The Indian selectors will announce the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara, and there is speculation about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.

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It is an open secret that at least one member in the Indian team management doesn’t favour Pant’s high-risk batting style and would prefer him to adopt a more traditional approach.

But dropping a second-choice wicketkeeper without giving him a fair chance could raise more questions. In 2025, Pant didn’t play a single ODI although he was part of the Champions Trophy squad as well as the series against South Africa last month.

While Ruturaj Gaikwad, a specialist opener, was tried at No 4, Pant was left on the bench during all three games. Pant has played only 31 ODIs since his debut in 2018. He got consistent chances in two separate phases — 11 games between June 30, 2019 and Jan 14, 2020 before COVID-19, and 15 ODIs between March 26, 2021 and Nov 30, 2022 before his car accident.

In this phase, he scored a century, two 75-plus scores and one 85 in 15 innings. Since his return in 2024, he has played just one ODI in Colombo, which was head coach Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment.

Pant’s current form hasn’t helped either, with only one significant score — 70 — in four Vijay Hazare Trophy games. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan smashed 14 sixes in Jharkhand’s opening game against Karnataka, batting in the middle order. Dhruv Jurel also scored a big hundred for Uttar Pradesh and was part of the ODI set-up in the last series.

However, the tracks on which Delhi played at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru weren’t batting-friendly, though that can’t excuse Pant’s dismissals in the 20s. Still, his overall impact remains a notch above Jurel.

Three wicketkeepers in a squad of 15 looks like a luxury, and with KL Rahul firmly established as the first-choice batter-keeper, it will be interesting to see if Kishan is picked at the expense of either Pant or Jurel.

Another name in contention is Devdutt Padikkal, who has an average of over 92 across 37 games and has already scored three centuries in four matches in the ongoing National Championship. But with skipper Shubman Gill returning, veteran Rohit Sharma at the other end, and last ODI’s centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting for more opportunities, it will be difficult for selectors to accommodate Padikkal at the top.

Gaikwad, a specialist opener, is currently playing at No 4, a slot that belonged to vice-captain Shreyas Iyer before his injury. Padikkal hasn’t done much wrong, but there is simply no place in the top four right now after Gaikwad’s century, unless selectors add an extra specialist batter.

Bowling combinations
Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Hardik Pandya are set to be rested from the ODIs with the T20 World Cup in mind. Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, who are also part of the shortest format, could get another chance.

There is talk of veteran Mohammed Shami making a comeback after the Champions Trophy, but whether selectors want to turn the clock back remains to be seen. The spin department, with Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, looks settled.