Not Ishaan or Sanju, this player will be included in Team India in place of Rishabh Pant! The bat was spitting fire at Vijay Hazare

IND vs NZ ODI Series: Team India has suffered a big setback before the start of India vs New Zealand ODI series. Star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the entire series due to injury. According to reports, during the practice session, Pant was hit by a ball in the ribs above the waist, after which he was seen groaning. Coach Gautam Gambhir and other support staff immediately arrived to help Pant, and Pant was later taken off the field.

Although there is no official statement from BCCI yet on Pant’s injury, but reports are saying that his injury is serious and he will not be able to take part in the ODI series against New Zealand. Now the question is who can join the team as Pant’s replacement.

Who will be Rishabh Pant’s replacement?

KL Rahul is already the regular wicketkeeper in the Indian ODI team, and Pant was included in the squad as his backup. Pant played his last ODI in 2024, and he was also a part of the team in the Champions Trophy 2025, but he did not get a chance to play any match.

If Pant is out of the ODI series, then Dhruv Jurel may get a chance as a replacement instead of Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson. The reason for this is that both Ishan and Sanju are part of the upcoming T20 World Cup squad, and the team management would not want to take any risks with both of them. At the same time, Dhruv Jurel is performing brilliantly at the moment, especially in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Dhruv Jurel’s brilliant performance

Dhruv Jurel has made his debut for India in Test and T20, but he has not got a chance to play in ODI yet. Jurel’s record in List-A cricket has been excellent, in which he has scored 747 runs in 17 matches at an average of 74.70. During this period, he also scored 2 centuries, in which his best score was 160 not out. His bat is also performing well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, where he is at the third position with 558 runs.

Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson

Ishan Kishan has recently made a comeback in the Indian T20 team on the basis of excellent domestic cricket performances. He is part of the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Kishan made Jharkhand the champion under his captaincy in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, in which he scored 517 runs at an average of 57.44 and strike rate of 197.32. His performance in Vijay Hazare Trophy has also been good.

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Sanju Samson’s record in international cricket is also impressive. He has played 16 ODIs so far, in which he has scored 510 runs at an average of 56.66. His one century and three half-centuries are also recorded in ODI cricket. However, Samson’s priority at the moment is the T20 World Cup, and he cannot be an option for the ODI series.