As 2026 began, India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant shared a series of cryptic Instagram stories. The timing caught everyone’s attention, particularly with India preparing to announce the squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11.

While welcoming the new year with positivity, Pant’s messages seemed to subtly reflect his current situation in ODIs.

Pant began his story with the words “Lessons I learned in 2025,” setting the stage for what was to come. His messages emphasized the importance of gratitude in shifting perspectives, concentrating on what’s within one’s control, steering clear of comparisons, and taking the time to reflect and find solutions.

These posts seemed to strongly suggest Pant’s likely absence from the ODI squad. Unfortunately, his recent domestic form hasn’t worked in his favor.

In the ongoing VHT 2025-26, he has accumulated just 121 runs from five matches while batting in his preferred middle-order position, which is considerably lower than the numbers posted by other wicketkeepers.

Dhruv Jurel’s remarkable 307 runs from three outings, combined with Ishan Kishan’s solid 125 in his single match against Karnataka, have naturally swayed the selectors’ judgments

Pant’s most recent ODI outing was in August 2024 against Sri Lanka. Though he was named in the squad for the South Africa series, he didn’t see any action in the playing XI, as KL Rahul captained and kept wickets, leaving both Pant and Jurel on the bench.

As Rahul retains his spot as the first-choice wicketkeeper, the debate now centers on who will serve as the backup