In a major development, India national cricket team’s star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against the New Zealand national cricket team.
Rishabh Pant’s exclusion from the series against Blackcaps was confirmed by Dainik Jagran journalist Abhishek Tripathi on Saturday, January 10.
Rishabh Pant is sure to be out of New Zealand ODI!
28-year-old Pant has been in the news for some time. Before the squad was announced for the series against New Zealand, it was reported by several media outlets that the selection committee had decided to move on from him in 50-over cricket.
It was reported that Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma and Dhruv Jurel were in the running to replace Rishabh Pant as the backup wicketkeeper-batsman in the Indian ODI setup.
However, those reports were dismissed after the team announcement as Rishabh Pant was retained as the backup wicketkeeper, and KL Rahul was the first choice.
As Pant was retained, it was expected that he would finally get a chance to join the playing eleven in the ODI series against the Kiwis. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan even chose Pant in place of KL Rahul in his playing eleven.
However, Pant’s hopes of playing the series have been dashed. Rishabh Pant worked hard and spent a lot of time at the nets during the practice session on Saturday.
However, during the closing stages of the session, Pant was hit by a ball and left the field. Now the news is that the injury is serious and he is out of the New Zealand series.
If you don’t give any chance to Pant then how will he be able to prove? -Irfan Pathan
In a video shared on his official YouTube channel, Irfan Pathan said that Pant should be given a chance to prove himself in ODI cricket.
“Rishabh Pant has lagged behind other wicketkeepers like Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma, but he should also get chances, right? KL Rahul has cemented his place as an ODI wicketkeeper, and is way ahead of the curve, but if you don’t give Pant any chances, how will he prove that?” Irfan Pathan said.
India’s New Zealand tour 2026 consists of a three-match T20I series and a five-match ODI series. BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara will host the opening match of the ODI series on Sunday, January 11, and the second 50-over game will be played at Niranjan Shah Stadium, Khanderi, Rajkot on Wednesday, January 14.
Meanwhile, the ODI series will conclude with a match at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday, January 18.
Nitish Kumar Reddy should be given more opportunities- Irfan Pathan
Apart from Pant, Irfan Pathan also demanded consistent opportunities for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has been in the team for some time but is not playing regularly.
Irfan Pathan said, “Nitish Kumar Reddy should be given more chances, even if he fails. There are not many all-rounders who can bowl at 130 kmph and bat in the middle order. Hardik Pandya has become that player now because he was played regularly for the first 2-3 years. The selectors, team management and fans will also have to be patient with Nitish Kumar Reddy, like they have been in the past. Was with Pandya.
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