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Rishabh Pant’s place in the ODI side could be under serious threat with India looking at a new option for the back-up wicket-keeper batter’s role. India play three ODIs against New Zealand starting January 11 and the team might look a bit different than what it did during the South Africa series which the Men In Blue won 2-1.
Shubman Gill is set to return as captain after missing the South Africa ODIs due to injury while Shreyas Iyer might miss another series as he continues to recover. But the bigger news could be the axing of Test vice captain Pant who has been warming the bench in the 50-over format for some time.
Pant to be dropped?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to announce the squad for the series against New Zealand soon and Pant’s spot is in danger.
According to a report in India Today, Pant is likely to be shown the exit door from the 50-over format. He was in the squad in India’s last series against South Africa but did not play any of the three matches. India trusted Ruturaj Gaikwad at number four in the absence of vice captain Shreyas Iyer with Washington Sundar and Tilak Verma also given opportunities in the middle order as all-rounders.
Pant last played an ODI for India on August 7, 2024, against Sri Lanka in Colombo. His ODI numbers too do not make for a great reading. He averages 33.50 at a strike rate of 106.21 in the 31 matches that he has played in this format.
If Pant is dropped, he will become only a one-format player with India already having moved away from him in T20Is .
Ishan Kishan likely to be recalled
A bumper domestic season with Jharkhand helped Ishan Kishan break into the T20 World Cup squad and there could be more good news in store for the wicket-keeper batter.
The India Today report also states that Kishan remains the frontrunner to take Pant’s spot in the ODI set-up.
Kishan last played a 50-over match for India on October 11, 2023 in the Cricket World Cup where he opened in the absence of Gill. Kishan has been in some brilliant form in domestic cricket recently. He finished as the highest run-scorer in Jharkhand’s winning campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and started the Vijay Hazare Trophy with another century in just 33 balls against Karnataka.
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