Injured Pant ruled out of New Zealand ODIs

Rishabh Pant's tryst with injuries continues, as there appears to be no end to the wicketkeeper's bad luck with fitness. Sources close to him say he has been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand, which begins in Baroda on Sunday (January 11), after being hit by a delivery during practice at the VCA Stadium in the city on Saturday afternoon.

Pant is the second wicketkeeper in the ODI squad, behind KL Rahul, and hence there is no immediate need for another stumper for Sunday's fixture. However, the selectors are expected to announce a replacement. Ishan Kishan, who is the preferred wicketkeeper for the T20 series, may come in Pant's place.

There is no clear information on the nature of Pant's injury, but it is learnt that he was hit by a delivery from a sidearm specialist. It is unlikely that Pant consulted any specialist in the city, nor did he undergo scans. However, he was seen writhing in severe pain on the ground. According to sources, the team physio and doctor attended to him and found the injury too serious for him to continue in the three-match series.

At the time of publication, there was no official communication from the team management or the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but sources close to him say Pant will leave the Indian camp on Sunday morning. It is not immediately clear how long it will take for him to be back in action.

Pant has been a regular candidate for injuries. His flourishing career almost got derailed when he met with a horrific car accident in December 2022. It led to a prolonged absence from international cricket as well as the IPL. Last summer in England, he first suffered a finger injury, which later restricted his participation in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Saturday was an optional practice day for the Indian team, and Pant chose to come in for a batting session at the nets, where he unfortunately got hit. Among the others who turned up for practice were Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj and Shreyas Iyer. Skipper Shubman Gill also turned up for the optional session, as he had to address the pre-series media conference.