India’s first ODI assignment of 2026 could mean a fresh beginning for some. With New Zealand arriving for a three-match series from January 11, the BCCI selection committee is likely to exclude Rishabh Pant from the setup and reward a consistent domestic performer. According to various reports, Ishan Kishan is likely to get the nod in the team that is touted to be announced in the first week of January.
Rishabh Pant to be axed?
According to Sports Tak, Rishabh Pant will be left out of the ODI squad, with Ishan Kishan emerging as the front-runner for a recall. Pant’s last ODI appearance came in August 2024 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Pant hasn’t broken down white-ball cricket. He may be the best-ever keeper for India in Tests, he still lags behind in consistency in ODIs and T20Is. Due to his unfortunate accident, Pant has managed to play just a solitary ODI since 2023. In 2022, he played 12 ODIs and scored a total of 336 runs despite hammering his best ODI knock of 125* against England in Manchester.
He was part of the touring group in South Africa recently but did not feature in any of the three matches, a strong indication that he is no longer automatic in the format. His returns in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he is leading Delhi, have also been mixed, with scores of 5 and 70 so far.
Kishan’s domestic surge forces selectors’ hand
While Pant’s ODI trail has gone cold, Kishan has been knocking the door down. The Jharkhand left-hander has put together a compelling case across formats over the past few months. He finished as the leading run-scorer of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, played a defining role in Jharkhand’s maiden title run, and signed off the tournament with a century in the final against Haryana in Pune. He was rewarded by the BCCI as Kishan was named in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 in place of JItesh Sharma.
Kishan then carried that form into the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), blasting a 33-ball hundred against Karnataka, the second-fastest List A century by an Indian. Kishan has not played an ODI since October 2023, but the selectors appear ready to reward consistency. Not to forget, Kishan is one of the five Indians ever to score a double century in the format.
The upcoming series is also likely to see the return of Shubman Gill as ODI captain. Gill has recovered from his toe injury and has resumed batting duties. Shreyas Iyer, India’s vice-captain, remains under medical supervision at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, with his availability still uncertain. If Iyer returns, it would mean that there’d be no spot for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored a hundred in his last appearance.
India’s Probable squad for IND vs NZ ODIs
Shubman Gill (c), Shreyas Iyer (vc), Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk)/Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Rishabh Pant likely to be dropped for IND vs NZ ODIs as BCCI eyes another reward for Ishan Kishan
Top Stories
