Shocking news ahead of IND vs NZ 1st ODI as star India player ruled out

India’s veteran wicket-keeper batter, Rishabh Pant, has picked up an injury on the eve of the opening clash of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. The southpaw, two days before the start of the game, was hit by a delivery during practice on Saturday (January 10) afternoon. He was, anyway, the second wicket-keeper of the ODI squad after KL Rahul.

There is no clear information on the nature of Pant’s injury, but it has been reported that a sidearm specialist hit him. It’s unlikely that Pant consulted any doctor in the city, nor did he undergo any scan. However, the India batter was seen struggling in severe pain on the ground. The reports claimed that the team physio and doctor attended to him and found the injury too serious to continue the series.

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Pant was in decent touch heading into the ODI series, after a strong performance for Delhi in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26, where he led the side to the quarter-final and smashed a fine unbeaten knock of 67 runs against Services at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Dhruv Jurel joins India to replace injured Rishabh Pant

Pant, who hasn’t played any ODI since November 2024, has smashed 871 runs in 27 innings of the 50-over format at an average of 33.50 and a strike rate of 106/71, scoring five half-centuries and one century at the best score of unbeaten 125 runs. In his injury, Dhruv Jurel has reported joining the 50-over squad.

Pant still has been a regular candidate for injuries. His career flourished and almost got derailed when he met with a horrific car accident in December 2022. It was a prolonged absence from international cricket for him as well as the Indian Premier League (IPL). He suffered a finger injury last summer in England.

January 10 was an optional practice day for the Indian team, and Pant decided to come for a batting session in the nets when he was unfortunately. Mohammad Siraj, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shreyas Iyer were also present in the net session.