Rishabh Pant Excluded from India’s ODI Series vs New Zealand

Rishabh Pant has been excluded from India’s ODI series against New Zealand due to a side strain injury. The wicketkeeper-batter sustained the injury during a practice session leading up to the first match of the series.

Details of Pant’s Injury

Pant experienced sudden discomfort in his right lateral abdominal area while batting in the nets at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara. Following the incident, he underwent MRI scans. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed that Pant has been diagnosed with an oblique muscle tear, resulting in his omission from the upcoming matches.

Replacement Announcement

• Dhruv Jurel has been named as Pant’s replacement.
• Jurel has joined the team already in Vadodara.

Impact on Indian Team

This injury does not alter the composition of India’s first-choice lineup. KL Rahul will take on the role of wicketkeeper-batter in Pant’s absence. Despite the setback, Pant had recently been in decent form, having led Delhi to the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-finals and achieving two fifties in six innings.

Jurel’s Background

Dhruv Jurel is yet to make his ODI debut but comes into the series with impressive form, scoring six fifties in his last seven List A innings, including two centuries for Uttar Pradesh. His previous outings in the Test series against South Africa saw him struggle with scores of 14, 13, 0, and 2.

Upcoming ODI and T20I Schedule

The first ODI will take place in Vadodara. Here are the remaining matches in the ODI series:

• Second ODI: Rajkot on January 14
• Third ODI: Indore on January 18

Following the ODI series, the teams will compete in a five-match T20I series. The T20I series will be held in:

• Nagpur on January 21
• Raipur on January 23
• Guwahati on January 25
• Visakhapatnam on January 28
• Thiruvananthapuram on January 31

Both Pant and Jurel will not be part of the T20I squad. The upcoming T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka in February-March.

India’s Updated ODI Squad