Rishabh Pant ruled out of India vs New Zealand ODIs with oblique muscle tear
India suffered a late blow ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand when wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out after sustaining an oblique muscle tear during a practice session in Vadodara. The 28-year-old was injured while facing throwdowns at the Baroda Cricket Association ground, just a day before the series opener.
What happened during practice
Pant had been putting in extended batting work after joining the squad following his leadership stint for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. During a long net session, a throwdown struck him just above the waist near the ribs. He was in visible pain, received immediate attention from the support staff and head coach Gautam Gambhir, and was unable to continue.
Medical update
Team medical assessments have confirmed a right-sided strain with an internal oblique muscle tear. As a result, Pant has been officially ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
Impact on India’s plans
Pant’s absence removes a strong left-handed batting option from India’s middle order. KL Rahul remains India’s designated wicketkeeper for ODIs, but Pant’s ability to change the middle-order balance and add left-right variety will be missed. The injury comes at an inconvenient time, just as the team finalised preparations for the first men’s international at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium.
Pant’s recent form and fitness history
Before this setback, Pant had only recently returned to competitive cricket after a toe fracture sustained during the fourth Test against England in Manchester. He made his comeback during India’s home series against South Africa and had been in good touch domestically, scoring back-to-back half-centuries for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Pant was also part of India’s Champions Trophy-winning squad in 2025 but did not play any matches in that tournament.
Series schedule
- January 11 — Baroda (Baroda Cricket Association Stadium) — series opener
- January 14 — Rajkot
- January 18 — Indore
India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Rohit Sharma
- Virat Kohli
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Shreyas Iyer (vc)
- Washington Sundar
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Mohammed Siraj
- Harshit Rana
- Prasidh Krishna
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yashasvi
India will now finalise contingency plans for the middle order and back-up wicketkeeping options as they prepare to begin the series in Baroda. Pant’s rehabilitation and return timeline will be monitored closely by team medical staff before any decisions on his next availability are taken.