Explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s place in India’s ODI setup had become a hot topic days ahead of the upcoming home series against New Zealand, but the announcement of the final squad made one thing absolutely clear: the selectors were never ready to close the door on him.
Rishabh Pant retained in India’s ODI squad for New Zealand series: Selectors show confidence
In a surprise move, the BCCI selection committee has retained Rishabh Pant in India’s 15-member ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against New Zealand starting January 11 in Vadodara. The Indian selectors’ endorsement of the 28-year-old’s match-winning ability came as a surprise to many, as there were rumors that the Indian wicketkeeper had been dropped from the ODI squad.
The decision surprised many, especially given the noise surrounding the potential changes. Pant’s recent performance in ODIs had raised questions. During the South Africa series, he was part of the team as the second-choice wicketkeeper-batsman, but did not get a chance in any of the three matches.
Also read: R Ashwin calls Rishabh Pant a ‘useless middle-order batsman’; Kohli-Rohit decided the future of Ruturaj Gaikwad!
The same happened in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where the left-handed batsman remained on the bench throughout the tournament under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, with KL Rahul playing as a specialist wicketkeeper-batsman earlier this year.
Because of this, there was a strong discussion that Ishan Kishan would finally return to the ODI team after more than two years. But Ishaan did not return; Instead, the selectors decided to stick with Pant, favoring patience over nervousness in the ODI format.
Rishabh Pant survives the axe: Commitment paid off by knee-jerk reactions
A few days after the announcement of the ODI team, the reason behind Pant’s selection has come to light. The selectors believe that the Indian wicketkeeper has not been given a single chance to play ODIs recently, so there is no reason to drop him.
“The argument is that there was no case for his replacement because he hasn’t got a chance to play an ODI, let alone fail in one,” Cricbuzz quoted a BCCI source as saying.
The clincher: Pant’s stellar domestic commitment
Rishabh Pant also helped his case by showing strong commitment to domestic cricket. While most of the Indian stars played only the required number of matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, Pant did everything and earned a vote of confidence from the selectors.
Also read: Shubman Gill stages powerplay against Gautam Gambhir, uses VVS Laxman to make changes in Test team
BCCI has made it mandatory to play at least two matches in the tournament. He played all five matches for Delhi in the group stage, leading from the front.
Pant scored two fifties and led Delhi to four wins in those five matches, helping his team top Elite Group D with a strong net run rate of +0.803.
This commitment to domestic cricket, while demonstrating both form and leadership, boosted the selectors’ confidence and he was retained in the ODI squad for the New Zealand series.
“Pant appears to have won brownie points from the selectors for his commitment to domestic cricket,” Cricbuzz reported.
