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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 Rishabh Pant misses entire three-match ODI series vs New Zealand
- 2🏆 Dhruv Jurel drafted into India’s ODI squad as wicketkeeper cover
- 3💡 KL Rahul continues as first-choice keeper-batter and senior batter
- 4🔮 Jurel’s call-up could shape India’s long-term keeping options in ODIs
"Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has suffered a side strain with Dhruv Jurel replacing him "
Just hours before the New Zealand ODI series, Rishabh Pant has been ruled out for Team India with a side strain, handing a sudden opening to young keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel in Vadodara.
Late reshuffle as injury strikes in Vadodara nets
Pant, who has been easing back into top-flight cricket through domestic tournaments, picked up the injury while batting during India’s practice session ahead of the first ODI at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. The discomfort in his right lateral abdominal area was serious enough for the medical team to pull him out of the entire three-match series.
For India, already juggling workloads and planning towards a hectic 2026 calendar, this isn’t just a personnel change – it alters the flavour of the middle order. Pant’s left-handed presence and ability to counter-attack at will is a unique weapon, especially on Indian tracks where spin can dictate tempo.
In his place, Dhruv Jurel has linked up with the squad and could slot in as back-up to KL Rahul, who remains first-choice keeper and a core part of the leadership group. Jurel’s temperament in pressure situations has stood out in domestic cricket and the IPL, and this call-up fast-tracks his entry into the ODI environment.
If India decide they want an extra aggressive option down the order at some stage in the series, Jurel’s fearless batting could come into play. For now, Pant steps aside again due to injury, while another young wicketkeeper from India’s never-ending talent conveyor belt gets his big audition on the international stage.
