The ambiguity surrounding Rishabh Pant‘s future in white-ball cricket has once again come to light as a result of his exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 roster. Pant is also reportedly not expected to be included in the forthcoming ODI series against New Zealand.
Pant has had difficulty solidifying his position across formats since his lengthy injury absence. Even though he is currently India’s vice-captain for Test matches, there is now more rivalry for slots in the limited-overs lineup. While Dhruv Jurel and Ishan Kishan have advanced through the ranks and solidified their claims, KL Rahul has solidified his position as India’s first-choice ODI wicketkeeper.
Pant’s main problem in T20 cricket, according to former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta, is that his job is unclear. Dasgupta highlighted that he still considers Pant to be a top-order batsman in Twenty20 Internationals, despite these reservations.
He asked if Pant himself is entirely sure of his place in the shortest format.
Is he among the best three batters in T20 cricket? Is he a finisher or a middle-order batter? Who is he? He must respond to these enquiries. He is among the top three hitters in T20I cricket, in my opinion. He is a good No. 4 or No. 5 in ODIs, Dasgupta told India Today.
Pant recently produced a valiant knock of more than 70 runs for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and he has started to re-establish his case through local cricket. Dasgupta emphasised that if the left-hander wants to re-establish himself in India’s white-ball setup, he must score runs consistently.
“All he needs to do, in my opinion, is bat. He received an outstanding score of about 70 for Delhi. All he needs to do is keep making runs, play white-ball cricket anywhere he can, whether it’s domestically or abroad, and figure out what works for him,” Dasgupta stated.
According to rumours, Pant will not be selected for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, and the team management is looking into other options. Kishan, who has excelled with good domestic performances for Jharkhand, would have an opportunity if he is left out. Pant will need to put on strong, consistent performances as the competition heats up in order to win back the selectors’ trust.
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