IND vs NZ ODIs: Will Rishabh Pant be able to make cut in Indian squad?

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant's form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy has been patchy with just one half-century in four matches, but if he is dropped for the upcoming New Zealand series without being given even one ODI game in the last 18 months, it could be deemed as slightly harsh from the Ajit Agarkar-led committee.

The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara, and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.

It is an open secret that at least one member in the Indian team management doesn't exactly like Pant's high-risk high-reward batting template and would like him to employ a more traditional way of batting.

But dropping a second-choice glovesman without giving him a fair go could obviously lead to more questions being asked without tangible answers being provided.

In 2025, Pant didn't play a single ODI, although he was part of the Champions Trophy squad as well as in the series against South Africa last month.

While Ruturaj Gaikwad, a specialist opener, was tried at No. 4, Pant was left cooling his heels during all the three games.

Pant has played only 31 ODIs since his debut in 2018. Since his return in 2024, post-accident. Pant has only one significant score - 70 - in four Vijay Hazare Trophy games, while the flavour of the season, Ishan Kishan hit 14 sixes in Jharkhand's opening game against Karnataka, batting in the middle-order.

One
No of ODIs played by Rishabh Pant in the last 18 months, post his return from a life-threatening accident. He scored six in the lone ODI against SL in August 2024