Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of India’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand after suffering a side strain during a net session in Vadodara. The injury occurred when Pant was struck on the ribs by a delivery while practicing, forcing him to leave the nets in visible pain. In his absence, promising young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has been named as his replacement, joining the Indian squad ahead of the series opener.
Rishabh Pant suffers rib injury during practice session
During India’s optional practice session at the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) B ground, Pant appeared focused and organised, spending nearly 50 minutes in a batting session. However, the star wicketkeeper experienced discomfort after being hit above the waist by a throwdown delivery. Pant immediately dropped to his knees and was attended to by the support staff. Medical scans later revealed a side strain on the right side of his ribcage, ruling him out of the ODI series.
Pant is now expected to rest for several days before reporting to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for further assessment and rehabilitation. He had entered the ODI series after an impressive Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, leading Delhi with two half-centuries against Services and Railways and helping his team reach the knockout stages.
This marks the second significant injury setback for Pant, who had fractured his right foot during the fourth Test against England at Manchester and made his comeback in the home Test series against South Africa in November 2025. Although Pant has been a regular in India’s ODI setup over the past two years, his last 50-over appearance came during the Sri Lanka tour in August 2024.
With Pant sidelined, the team management will now evaluate options to fill the void. Dhruv Jurel, in form from the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and T20 World Cup-bound Ishan Kishan are the likely replacements.
India’s ODI series against New Zealand will kick off at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium (BCA) in Kotambi, Vadodara, marking the venue’s first men’s international match. The second ODI will take place at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on January 14, while the series concludes at Holkar Stadium, Indore, on January 18.
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