India wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant suffered a blow on Saturday evening as he was ruled out of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. During India’s optional practice session on the eve of the first ODI at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, Pant was hit near the ribs from a delivery from the throwdown specialist.
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The 28-year-old was attended by the support staff members, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, and left the BCA B ground after receiving treatment, grimacing in pain. A BCCI update noted that Pant experienced discomfort in his right lateral abdominal area while batting.
“He was taken for MRI scans immediately and the BCCI Medical Team had a detailed discussion with an expert on his clinical and radiological findings. Pant has been diagnosed with a side strain (Oblique Muscle Tear) and is subsequently ruled out of the ODI Series,” the BCCI statement read.
The left-hander was involved in a lengthy batting session before he got injured, where he focused on his forward defence, while trying the occasional lap shot. Pant last played an ODI for India against Sri Lanka in July 2024. He was part of the squad that won the Champions Trophy in 2025, but did not feature in a single match.
Pant led Delhi in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy recently and made two half-centuries against Services and Railways, respectively. He made his comeback after recovering from a toe fracture he sustained in the fourth Test against England at Manchester, during the two-Test series against South Africa at home.
Dhruv Jurel returns to ODI squad
Replacing Pant as the back-up wicket-keeper for KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel has been drafted into the squad for the three matches slated to be played in Vadodara, Rajkot and Indore over the course of the week ahead. It will mean Jurel will be unavailable for Uttar Pradesh in the quarter-final of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, where the team, on an unbeaten streak, will face Saurashtra in Bengaluru.
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Jurel emerged as UP’s standout batting performer, plundering 558 runs in seven matches at an average of over 90 while captaining the side. In superb touch, Jurel racked up two hundreds as well as four half-centuries during the league stage. While he has earned nine Test caps and four in T20Is, the 24-year-old has yet to make his ODI debut.
