IND vs NZ: Rishabh Pant all set to be DROPPED for New Zealand ODIs, Ishan Kishan's good times to begin - Reports

Rishabh Pant was part of India’s squad in the previous ODI series against South Africa.

Indian Cricket Team wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant is all set to be dropped for the forthcoming ODI series against New Zealand Cricket Team, according to a report by India Today. The sources close to the selection committee revealed that the management is looking to make changes in the ODI team from next year to develop a more balanced squad.

New Zealand will tour India for a white-ball series, comprising three ODIs and five T20Is. The Kiwis tour of India will commence with the ODI series, with the opening game scheduled to be played on January 11 (Sunday) at BCA Stadium, Vadodara. The next two games will be played on January 14 and 18 at Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot and Holkar Stadium, Indore, respectively.

Pant last played an ODI game against Sri Lanka in August 2024. He was part of the squad in the previous ODI series against South Africa earlier this month; however, did not play in any of the three games. The left-handed batsman is currently captaining Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26.

In the opening game against Andhra, Pant failed to make a mark with the bat, getting out for just five runs. He came up with a better show in the second game, smacking 70 runs against Gujarat.

IND vs NZ: Ishan Kishan or Jitesh Sharma likely to be picked for the ODI series against New Zealand

BCCI are expected to announce the squad for the New Zealand series later this week. The report also suggested that the management might go ahead with wicket-keepers in Ishan Kishan or Jitesh Sharma with the former being the front-runner.

Kishan recently led Jharkhand to the title in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025. With 517 runs in 10 games, he finished as the highest run-scorer in the tournament. Moreover, he also hammered a stunning century in the final against Haryana, driving the team to victory by 69 runs. Not only this, he also hit a ton in the opening game of Jharkhand while batting at six.

With his marvellous batting show in SMAT 2025, he was picked for India’s squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Saaju Samson. Sharma, who is another wicket-keeper in contention to be picked against New Zealand, has not played any ODI so far, he has impressed with his form in the T20I format.

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