IND vs NZ: Rishabh Pant confirms ODI snub? Posts cryptic stories just before New Zealand series

Rishabh Pant was part of the previous ODI series against South Africa but did not play any games.

Indian Cricket Team’s star wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant shared a series of cryptic stories on Instagram, which led to rumours of his snub from the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.

Pant shared these posts right at the beginning of the new year, and the timing of these posts has caught the attention of fans, as the Indian selectors are expected to announce the squad for the New Zealand ODI series soon.

India‘s first assignment in 2026 is the white-ball series against New Zealand, which will begin on January 11 with the first ODI game in Vadodara. Both sides will clash in three ODI games during the campaign, followed by a five-match T20I series. While the selectors have announced the T20I squad, the ODI team will also be announced soon.

Notably, several reports have claimed that Pant will not be picked for the ODI series against New Zealand. The left-handed batsman last played an ODI in August 2024 against Sri Lanka.

He was part of the squad in the previous campaign against South Africa. However, he was not picked in the playing XI in any of the three matches. KL Rahul, who captained the Men in Blue in Shubman Gill’s absence, undertook the wicket-keeping duties as well. Hence, he remains the first-choice wicket-keeper in the 50-over format currently.

According to reports, selectors are keen to pick Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma, or Dhruv Jurel as secondary wicket-keepers for the New Zealand ODIs.

Rishabh Pant shares cryptic stories on Instagram

Pant shared a few cryptic stories on his Instagram account, which caught the attention of many fans. These posts hinted at his possible snub from the ODI squad against New Zealand.

At the start of his story, Pant wrote “Lessons I learned in 2025,” followed by a few other posts about gratitude, focusing on things within control, and avoiding comparisons with others.

Meanwhile, Indian selectors are expected to announce India’s ODI squad on Sunday, January 3. The squad will assemble in Vadodara on January 7.

While Gill will return to captain the side in the campaign, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is expected to miss the series due to his ongoing recovery from the spleen injury.

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