Rishabh Pant Out of India vs New Zealand ODIs; Dhruv Jurel to Replace Him

India’s star wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11, due to a side strain (oblique muscle tear). Dhruv Jurel has been named as Pant’s replacement, the BCCI confirmed on Sunday.

Pant sustained the injury while batting during a net session at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Saturday. The wicket-keeper experienced sudden discomfort in his right side and was immediately taken for an MRI scan. Following expert consultation, the BCCI Medical Team confirmed the oblique muscle tear, ruling him out of the series.

Dhruv Jurel has now joined the Indian squad ahead of the first ODI.

India’s updated ODI squad:

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK).

Pant had recently captained Delhi in the 2025/26 Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) league stage, scoring two half-centuries against Services and Railways, guiding Delhi to the knockout stage.

The three-match ODI series begins at BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara, followed by the second ODI in Rajkot, and concludes with the third ODI in Indore. The series will also mark the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who will play exclusively in the ODIs.

Following the ODI series, India and New Zealand will face each other in five T20Is, serving as preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

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