Explosive wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s place in India’s ODI setup became a hot topic just days before the upcoming home series against New Zealand, but the final squad announcement made one thing very clear: that the selectors were never ready to shut the door on him.
Rishabh Pant Retained in India ODI Squad for New Zealand Series: Selectors Show Faith
In a surprising 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. Indian selectors’ backing of the 28-year-old’s match-winning potential stunned many, as there were rumors of the Indian wicketkeeper’s omission from the ODI side.
The decision surprised many, especially with all the noise around possible changes. Pant’s recent run in ODIs had given rise to questions. During the South Africa series, he was part of the squad as the second-choice wicketkeeper-batter but did not get a chance in any of the three matches.
The same thing happened at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where the left-handed batter remained on the bench throughout the tournament under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, with KL Rahul playing as a specialist wicketkeeper-batter earlier this year.
Because of this, there was strong talk that Ishan Kishan would finally return to the ODI team after more than two years away. But Ishan didn’t return; instead, the selectors decided to stick with Pant, backing patience over panic in the ODI format.
Rishabh Pant Survives the Axe: Rewarding Commitment Over Knee-Jerk Reactions
Days after the ODI squad announcement, the reason behind Pant’s selection has been revealed. The selectors felt the Indian wicketkeeper had not been given a single opportunity to play an ODI recently, so there was no reason to drop him.
A BCCI source was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz, “The contention is that there was no case for his replacement, as he has not had a chance to play an ODI, leave aside failing in one.”
The Clincher: Pant’s Stellar Domestic Commitment
Rishabh Pant also helped his own case by showing a strong commitment to domestic cricket. While most Indian stars played only the required number of matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, Pant went all in and won the vote of confidence from the selectors.
BCCI made it mandatory to play at least two matches in the tournament. He played all five matches for Delhi in the group stage while leading from the front.
Pant smashed two fifties and led Delhi to four wins in those five games, which took his side to the top of the Elite Group D with a strong Net Run Rate of +0.803.
This commitment to domestic cricket, showcasing both form and leadership, boosted the selectors’ confidence, and he was retained in the ODI squad for the New Zealand series.
The Cricbuzz report said, “Pant appears to have won brownie points from the selectors for his commitment to domestic cricket.”