Jurel century outshines Pant’s failure as race for wicket-keeper’s spot for New Zealand ODIs heats up

New Delhi: As the selection day for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, the battle for the wicket-keeper’s slot is heating up. Dhruv Jurel or Rishabh Pant?Who will make the cut as the second wicket-keeping option after KL Rahul for the home series against the Kiwis? Though the selectors contemplating the difficult choice must be feeling relieved after the third round of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26.

Pant and Jurel were in action on Monday, featuring for their respective state teams in the 50-over domestic competition. Both wicketkeepers, in a way, were auditioning for the New Zealand series.

In the audition for the coveted spot in India’s ODI squad,  one passed, and one failed.

The growing chatter around India’s backup wicketkeeper spot is heating up, and Dhurv Jurel’s sensational century and Rishabh Pant’s failure might just have settled the debate.

While Jurel successfully managed to impress the selectors with a brilliant unbeaten 160 off 101 balls for Uttar Pradesh against Baroda, Pant failed to impress with a laborious 22 while chasing 321 against Saurashtra.

Jurel’s knock comprised 15 fours, eight sixes, but most importantly, he played every part an ideal ODI innings should have, perfectly. He first steadied the innings, then took control and finally unleashed mayhem to take a 300-looking total past the 350 mark.

Uttar Pradesh finished at 369 for 7, and eventually won the match by 54 runs. It’s hard to ignore an innings of this calibre, and the selectors must have taken note of his composure after a collapse, hitting prowess at the death, and the ability to capitalise on a start to put on a match-winning performance.

With the sensational innings, Jurel has thrown his hat in the ring to be considered seriously in India’s ODI setup and for the larger picture of building a team for the ODI World Cup 2027.

For Pant, it was a bad day at the office, one which could prove costly. Chasing a daunting 321 against Saurashtra in Bengaluru, Pant had the chance to be the anchor for the chase, but the Delhi captain and wicketkeeper wasted the golden opportunity, falling for 22 off 26 balls. His untimely wicket left Delhi with a mountain still to climb, and left Pant with a massive disadvantage in an already crowded selection season.

With Ishan Kishan’s domestic heroics and Jurel’s stunning century spicing up the selection debate, Pant, despite being one of the best match-winners in the country, finds himself in a tricky spot in the race for the ODI squad.