3 reasons why India dropping Rishabh Pant for IND vs NZ 2026 ODIs would be the wrong move

Star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant could be dropped from India's upcoming New Zealand series in 2026, according to a report by India Today. The Men in Blue will play three ODIs against the Kiwis in January 2026.

While the squad has not been announced yet, Rishabh Pant could be omitted, with Ishan Kishan likely to replace him based on his excellent current form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT).

Notably, Rishabh Pant last played an ODI in August 2024 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. His inconsistent performances in domestic cricket could be a reason for the selectors to look beyond him. Pant had scores of 5 and 70 in the last two matches he played for Delhi in the VHT 2025-26.

However, here are three reasons why dropping Rishabh Pant for the ODIs against New Zealand would be the wrong move.

#3 Decent ODI numbers in limited opportunities since 2021

Since 2021, Rishabh Pant has featured in just 15 ODIs. He was away for a considerable amount of time due to his injury and was later not included in the playing 11. In the limited matches, his ODI numbers have been fairly decent.

In 2021, he made 155 runs from two matches at an average of 77.50 at a strike rate of 151.56 with two half-centuries. In 2022, he made 336 runs in 10 innings at an average of 37.33 and a strike rate of 96.55 with a hundred and two half-centuries.

In 2024, he played just one game and made six runs, while in 2025, he has not played a single ODI.

#2 Rishabh Pant has done nothing wrong to be dropped

As already mentioned above, Rishabh Pant has played only one ODI since 2024. He was part of India's squad in the England series at home in February 2025, but did not play any matches. Pant was also part of the Indian squad that won the 2025 Champions Trophy. The team played five matches, but Pant did not feature in a single game.

Pant missed India's ODI series against Australia Down Under but returned to the squad for the recent ODIs against South Africa at home. However, he did not feature in a single game during the three-match series. Therefore, Pant has not gotten enough opportunities in the format, which suggests that he has done no wrong and raises questions about the basis on which the management drops him from the squad.

#1 India must not discard Pant too early keeping the 2027 World Cup in mind

Every ODI series will now be crucial and a part of the preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup. KL Rahul did keep wickets in the South Africa series, but India will certainly need more options and backups in the squad.

While Ishan Kishan could make a comeback, given his recent domestic form, the experiment could go either way. With enough time before the World Cup, Ishan's spot in the ODI setup right now cannot be considered fixed either.

With Ishan being better off at the top, as compared to Rishabh Pant, who can even bat in the middle or lower-middle order, India must consider keeping all options open and not shut the doors too early. Pant has been around for a while, having made his ODI debut in 2018. Therefore, it is only fair for him to deserve backing and opportunities.

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Edited by Rishab Vm