Pant’s ODI future under spotlight ahead of India-New Zealand series

After an underwhelming outing in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy and a prolonged absence from the ODI format, Rishabh Pant’s spot in India’s 50-over set-up is set to generate intense discussion when the Ajit Agarkar-led senior selection committee meets online on Saturday to pick the squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand.

The selectors are expected to maintain continuity by backing most of the players who delivered a 2-1 series win over South Africa, including experienced campaigners Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The ODI series against New Zealand will get underway in Vadodara on January 11, followed by matches in Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18.

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Pant, however, finds himself at a crossroads. His form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy has been patchy, yielding 121 runs from four outings, with just one half-century. The left-hander has not played an ODI since August 2024 against Sri Lanka, a return that came after a prolonged recovery from the serious injuries he suffered in a car accident in December 2022.

Since then, Pant’s position in the one-day side has weakened considerably. KL Rahul’s consistent performances as wicketkeeper-batter have seen him establish himself firmly in the ODI XI, leaving Pant on the sidelines through 2025, including as an unused squad member during the ICC Champions Trophy triumph and the recent South Africa series.

Adding further pressure is the strong competition from Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel. Kishan’s aggressive batting in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has earned him a place in India’s T20 World Cup squad, while Jurel’s heavy run-scoring in the Vijay Hazare Trophy has strengthened his case in the longer white-ball format.

With Pant no longer part of the T20I plans and his ODI prospects uncertain, his immediate chances to make an impact appear limited to the IPL and a handful of Tests scheduled later in the year.

Another player likely to feature in the selection debate is Devdutt Padikkal, who has been in outstanding domestic form, scoring three centuries in four Vijay Hazare Trophy matches. However, the return of Shubman Gill as captain, coupled with the presence of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, makes it difficult to identify where Padikkal would fit into the batting line-up.

In the bowling department, workload management ahead of the T20 World Cup is expected to influence selection decisions. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are likely to be rested, potentially opening opportunities for Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. If the selectors choose to manage the exposure of younger pacers, Mohammed Shami could come into consideration, though a recall is far from certain.

The spin attack appears largely settled, with Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav continuing to be the preferred options.