IND vs NZ: The Indian team management doesn’t really have a wicketkeeper problem in the 50-over format, but they have a role-defining problem.
When a keeper-batter is chosen as a like-for-like replacement for an opener, then they have to reshuffle the names. If someone is picked to solve the problem, then it becomes easier to choose.
So to put it properly, the debate is about who is the best middle-order wicketkeeper batter, who can either balance left-right or provide matchup flexibility, and who is currently in sublime form.
Breaking down Jurel, Pant, and Kishan
Dhurv Jurel and his outrageous form
He has performed brilliantly in the ongoing VHT. During Uttar Pradesh’s first three matches, Jurel was in sublime form. He had scored 307 runs after playing in three matches.
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He sent a reminder to the selectors that he can time his shot brilliantly and can also bat aggressively. But questions remain about his position in the ODI team, as he has just played List A cricket in this format.
As far as the squad is concerned, Jurel can be picked as the wicketkeeper-batter in the A tour or travel as the reserve.
Rishabh Pant: Biggest upside, but recent evidence keeps him out
He does have a decent record in ODIs. After playing in 31 matches, he has scored 871 runs at a staggering average of 33.50. The biggest problem is that he isn’t in a sublime form in this format, and his performance domestically isn’t impressive either.
During the ongoing domestic tournament, he scored just one brilliant knock of 70 runs against Gujarat and couldn’t do much in the other two matches.
He still is one of India’s best keeper-batters apart from KL Rahul, and the debate is about who deserves the ODI slot.
Ishan Kishan: the cleanest fit at present
He has already performed well in ODIs, as he has scored 933 runs after playing in 27 ODIs at a brilliant average of 42.40, which also includes a double ton. More importantly, he brings something India’s middle order often lacks: a left-handed wicketkeeper-batter who can change tempo without needing 40 balls to warm up.
The recent form box? He has basically stamped it with a sledgehammer. In this VHT, Kishan blasted 125 off 39 balls against Karnataka, and crucially, he did it batting at number six, which is exactly the flexibility India wants from a squad keeper in ODIs.
Add the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy context, and the argument becomes even clearer: Kishan was the leading run getter in the tournament, showing sustained hitting rather than a one-off cameo.
Conclusion
Looking through the lens of role clarity, adding left-hand variety, current form, and adaptability, Ishan Kishan looks like the best fit.
Jurel is the red-hot domestic form batter and should be kept close as a developing ODI option. Pant is the premium talent, but he needs a clearer recent runway before you hand him this specific slot again. Kishan, meanwhile, is already performing like a modern ODI squad player: multi-position, match-up ready, and in explosive touch.