During a long batting practice in Vadodara on Saturday, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was hit right above the waist by a throwdown specialist’s ball. The 28-year-old was reportedly treated by support personnel, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, and departed the BCA B venue while grimacing in agony.
During the long practice, Pant had been practicing his forward defence and trying lap shots, according to the Indian Express. In July 2024, the left-hander last represented India in an ODI against Sri Lanka. Despite not playing in any games, he was a member of the team that won the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Pant recently scored two half-centuries against Services and Railways while leading Delhi in the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the home two-Test series against South Africa, he had returned from a toe fracture he had suffered in the fourth Test match against England at Manchester.
Pant has been mostly ruled out of the forthcoming ODI series, which has a very short turnaround between the three matches, according to people close to the team management. Since August 2024, KL Rahul has been India’s main wicketkeeper-batter, and Pant has not played in an ODI.
It has been challenging for Pant to break into the already congested Indian batting order because Rahul also plays in the bottom middle order. After fully recuperating from a spleen ailment he suffered in Australia, vice captain Shreyas Iyer is expected to return.
Ishan Kishan may be announced as Pant’s substitute, and an official update on his health is anticipated within the next 24 hours.
The first men’s international match of the three-match ODI series against a redesigned New Zealand team will take place at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium. On January 14, Rajkot’s Niranjan Shah Stadium will host the second One-Day International, while on January 18, Indore’s Holkar Stadium will host the third and final game. A five-match T20I series, slated for January 21–31, will take centre stage after the ODIs.
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