Delhi: Before the announcement of the Indian team for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, there was continuous speculation about Rishabh Pant. It was being claimed in many media reports that the selectors can drop the wicketkeeper batsman from the team in this series. However, when BCCI announced the 15-member team on January 3, all these speculations proved wrong and Pant got a place in the team.

There were news of his being out before the home series.

The series is to start from January 11 in Vadodara. Earlier there were reports that Ishan Kishan may return to the ODI team after a long time in place of Pant. It was believed that Pant had slipped in the priority list of the selectors due to lack of opportunities in ODI cricket in recent times, but the team selection made it clear that there was no doubt in the minds of the selectors regarding Pant.

Did not play in the series against South Africa

Rishabh Pant was a part of the team in the recent ODI series against South Africa, but he did not get a chance to play a single match. Apart from this, in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pant remained on the bench in all five matches of the team captained by Rohit Sharma. Despite this, the selectors retained him for the New Zealand series.

Big revelation in Cricbuzz report

Cricbuzz’s report a day after the team was announced put an end to these speculations. According to the report, a BCCI source clarified that Pant’s place was never in danger. Quoting the source, it was said that when a player has not played any match, then the question of dropping him on the basis of his performance does not arise.

Hard work wins confidence in domestic cricket

The report also revealed that Pant’s commitment in domestic cricket impressed the selectors, with most of the Indian international players seen playing only minimum matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. At the same time, Pant participated in all the five group matches for Delhi.

Great contribution in Vijay Hazare Trophy

BCCI had made it mandatory for all players to play at least two matches in the group stage of Vijay Hazare Trophy. Under the same rule, legends like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also entered this tournament, but most of the star players played only two matches. In contrast, Pant played all five matches for Delhi’s elite Group D team and during this period also scored two half-centuries.

Pant’s mark was visible in captaincy also

Delhi performed brilliantly under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant. The team won four out of five matches and topped the points table of Group D with 16 points. Delhi’s net run rate was +0.803, which shows the dominance of the team. This consistency and leadership ability in domestic cricket gave a stronger basis to Pant’s selection.