Indian cricket star Rishabh Pant is enjoying a relaxing break in the mountains with his close friends. A video shared on social media shows Pant spending quality time in a cold and beautiful mountain area, away from the busy cricket schedule.

In the video, Pant is seen with fellow cricketer Rahul Tewatiya and a group of friends. They look cheerful as they enjoy the fresh air and scenic views. The clip shows a lighter and happier side of the Indian wicketkeeper-batter.

The most heart-warming moment comes when Pant and his friends are seen giving candies to local children. The kids look excited and smiling, and fans on social media praised the kind gesture. Many users said it was good to see Pant sharing joy and happiness during his vacation.

Watch the video here:

Rishabh Pant is enjoying quality time in mountains 🏔️🥶 with rahul tewatiya and friends , And on top of that, they’re even handing out candies to little kids , such a kind hearted person he is 💞🥹 always on my proud idolo pic.twitter.com/DyJjyZW9or

— Stubbsy  (@spideypant_) January 28, 2026

Bakchod Rishabh Pant Is Back 😭 https://t.co/swmW8bMPc9 pic.twitter.com/PdxeewuAAs

— Stubbsy  (@spideypant_) January 29, 2026

Also read -Legendary Bangladesh cricketer may return in the upcoming Pakistan series amid ICC controversy

Rishabh Pant Misses T20 World Cup

Rishabh Pant, who was part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning team, will not play in the next tournament. The team has chosen other wicketkeeper-batters like Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma, and Dhruv Jurel instead. Pant last played a T20I in July 2024, and Samson and Kishan will lead India’s title defence from February 7.

Pant and Other Players Out of Ranji Trophy

Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shardul Thakur are all recovering from injuries. They are not expected to play in the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches.

According to Times of India, Thakur is healing from a calf injury he got in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match. Pant is at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, recovering from a side strain he suffered before the India vs New Zealand 1st ODI. He has been out of action since then.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will get underway on February 7. The tournament will feature the world’s top 20 teams battling for cricket’s biggest T20 prize. Team India enter the competition as defending champions and will be eager to create history by becoming the first side to win the coveted trophy on home soil. With massive expectations and passionate home crowds, the pressure will be firmly on the hosts to deliver another memorable campaign.

As with every T20 World Cup, team selection has thrown up a few surprises ahead of the 2026 edition. While several players from the 2024 tournament featured prominently back then, not all have managed to retain their spots this time. A handful of high-profile names have been left out following changes in form, team balance, or strategy. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India have assembled a strong squad, even as some familiar faces from 2024 miss out on the final cut.

See Also: Big blow for USA as star player charged under anti-corruption code before T20 World Cup 2026

Here are the top 3 Indian players who played in the 2024 T20 World Cup but are missing in 2026;

3. Mohammed Siraj

Although Mohammed Siraj was part of the victorious Indian team at the T20 World Cup 2024, he has missed out on selection for the T20 World Cup 2026 as the team has changed the dynamics of squads that include players that play various formats and different conditions with match specific performances being required. However, Siraj remains an important player in the Test and ODI formats but he doesn't have as much of a role in the T20 format as he did in previous years.

Siraj has had to deal with a high level of competition from younger players and fast bowling all-rounders like Harshit Rana as these players not only bowl fast but give added batting depth to a side as well. Indian management has placed a high priority on selecting players who have specific skill sets and can be adjusted depending on who is playing in the opposition side. For this reason, Sri was not selected despite his high level of experience. Siraj hasn't played in the T20 format since July 2024 when he played against Sri Lanka where he dropped further down the order as the Indian T20 team has moved away from older combinations and will now look towards players who can provide them enjoyment now and in the future.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Many people were shocked when it was announced that Yashasvi Jaiswal wouldn’t be included in the T20 World Cup squad in 2026. He was an important part of the 2024 tournament and had established himself as one of India’s brightest young batting talents. He had been expected to be a long-term choice in this format of the game, having been the third option for the opening position behind Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during the successful 2024 Indian T20 World Cup. His aggressive batting style, along with his ability to score runs quickly at the start of an innings, had made him a key player for future T20 World Cups.

However, due to a loss of form and the emergence of several other top-order players, Jaiswal’s selection was adversely affected. Significant contributions from the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan have only added to their selection credentials. As team management looked for players in form, who could play flexible roles within the team, Jaiswal was left out of the squad despite clearly being a capable player. Jaiswal has not played T20 international cricket since July 2024, against Sri Lanka, after which he was no longer considered for selection.

1. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is the biggest name missing from the players who participated in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He was part of India's world champion squad in 2022 when he provided a serviceable and frequently used option as their primary wicketkeeper over the previous two years; therefore, not being selected this time, despite being involved with the team recently and being back on track with his recent form after injury, has left some fans and many analysts stunned.

Indian team management seems to have gone with a different formula than they did in preparing for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with a very short slump in Pant's performance leading to his exclusion and other players Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan being included instead as wicketkeeper/batter candidates. Although the tournament will begin on February 7 at multiple locations throughout India and Sri Lanka, he will not be there with his name as one of the best T20 players from India.

Rishabh Pant, who plays cricket for India and competes in the IPL, began his new sports career by becoming a co-owner of the Mumbai Pickle Power team through his partnership with Swiggy before the start of the World Pickleball League (WPBL) Season 2. The development demonstrates how Indian athletes and business partners are increasingly showing interest in pickleball, which has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.

WPBL, India’s first global franchise-based pickleball league, will stage its inaugural season from January 24 to February 2, 2025. The Brabourne Stadium will host all matches, which include the final match, and viewers can watch the event through FanCode and Sony Ten 2 television channels.

The two organizations, Pant and Swiggy, work together to create a national campaign that will establish pickleball as a popular sport throughout India. Pant, who plays for the Mumbai Pickle Power franchise, brings his aggressive cricket style and extensive fan base to the team. The partnership between Swiggy and the company creates an opportunity to establish pickleball as a major sport through their combined advertising power and extensive brand presence.

ALSO SEE: Watch: Ishan Kishan smashes Zakary Foulkes for 24-run over in IND vs NZ 2nd T20I in Raipur

Celebrity backing and star ownership signal pickleball’s rise in India

Swiggy Food Marketplace CEO Rohit Kapoor described pickleball as a fun, fast-paced sport with family appeal. He stated that Pant's involvement with the sport brings additional excitement to the game. The franchise works to create joyful experiences which will inspire the next generation of players because its control extends beyond match victories.

Watch the video:

Star power meets pickleball madness! ✨
Rishabh Pant, Co-owner of Mumbai Pickle Power, is ready to bring the energy to the World Pickleball League Season 2!

🗓️24 Jan – 8 Feb | Jio World Garden, Mumbai

🎟 Get your tickets on Swiggy Scenes if you haven’t | Link in bio 🔗 pic.twitter.com/kX1gvMyXl0

— World Pickleball League (@wpblofficial) January 23, 2026

Pant shared his love for pickleball through his statement that he wants to develop the sport into its highest potential in India. He added that Swiggy was the ideal partner, given their shared vision of amplifying the sport’s popularity.

The six-team league has been co-founded by former Indian tennis players Gaurav Natekar and Arati Ponnappa Natekar. Other celebrity team owners include Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia Deshmukh, Samantha Prabhu, and filmmaker Atlee. Mumbai Pickle Power will start their season in the league's first match against Pune United which shows the start of a new era for pickleball in India.

Several regular members of the Indian cricket team will take part in the upcoming Ranji Trophy, which begins this week. These players are not part of India’s T20 World Cup plans and have chosen to focus on domestic cricket until IPL 2026. Key names include Test captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Rishabh Pant, however, is likely to miss this phase of the tournament after suffering an injury before the IND vs NZ ODI series.

KL Rahul will return to domestic red-ball cricket for Karnataka in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025–26 season. The right-handed batter will play Karnataka’s Group D match against Punjab, starting January 29 in Mullanpur.

As per a Times of India report, Rahul will not feature in Karnataka’s January 22 match against Madhya Pradesh in Alur but is expected to join the squad for the Punjab game. This move follows the BCCI’s push for senior players without international commitments to play domestic cricket.

The Punjab vs Karnataka match is drawing attention as Shubman Gill is also expected to play for Punjab. Gill has already joined the Punjab squad for their January 22 match against Saurashtra in Rajkot, which will also include all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Gill earlier decided to spend more time in red-ball cricket after being left out of India’s T20 World Cup plans.

Also read -'Ishan will bat at...' - India skipper Suryakumar Yadav confirms Ishan Kishan's batting position ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

Punjab’s Qualification Challenge

Punjab face a tough task in the Ranji Trophy. They need to win both of their remaining group matches to stay in the race for the knockout stage. Matches against strong teams like Saurashtra and Karnataka make their path difficult.

Read Also -5 Indian Cricketers dropped from IND vs NZ 2026 T20I series who featured in 2023 ft. Shubman Gill

Updates on Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jadeja and Pant

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will continue to represent Andhra in their remaining group matches against Vidarbha and Nagaland. Andhra are placed second in Group A and have a strong chance of qualifying. Reddy is in good form after scoring a half-century in the recent ODI series against New Zealand and is seen as a backup option for Hardik Pandya in limited-overs cricket.

Ravindra Jadeja is set to return to action for Saurashtra in their January 22 match against Punjab. He last played in the ODI series against New Zealand, where he did not make much impact. His red-ball career remains safe, but he needs match practice ahead of the next Test series against Sri Lanka. In the 2025 Test season, Jadeja scored 764 runs and took 25 wickets in 10 matches.

India Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant is unlikely to feature in the Ranji Trophy. He was not named in Delhi’s squad for the match against Chhattisgarh and is expected to continue his recovery at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Repeated blows for Team India, as one of their key players got injured right before the India vs New Zealand (IND vs NZ) series after the surgery of Tilak Varma. So, before the series, the team management faced challenges for two separate issues.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the India vs New Zealand ODI series, which is scheduled to start on January 11 (today). The report further stated Pant suffered an injury during practice at the BCA Stadium this afternoon after being hit by a ball, which was the main reason for his withdrawal. The extent of Pant's injury has not been disclosed at this time.

Despite the media report, there are no official confirmations about the nature or about the seriousness of the knock the keeper-batter picked up during the batting practice. Several videos shared on social media platforms captured the moment Pant pulled himself out of the ground with some visible pain on his face. The team physio and doctor then treated him and determined that the injury was serious enough to rule him out of the three-match series, according to media reports.

Read More: Ramandeep Singh reveals what MS Dhoni told him about match finishing

Watch Rishabh Pant walked off the ground after got an injury in nets

🚨 Rishabh Pant In Pain After Hitting the ball on body . 🚨

Rishabh Pant suffered a side strain during a practice session. He was in pain and had difficulty walking. As a result, he has been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/iWEdd1zi94

— Cricket Central (@CricketCentrl) January 10, 2026

In the absence of Rishabh Pant, it is expected to see KL Rahul with the wicketkeeping gloves in the ODI series. Rahul practised wicketkeeping as well in the nets. However, if the selectors announce Pant's replacement, Ishan Kishan could get a chance in the playing XI as a keeper, with KL Rahul as another option who can keep as well.

India’s ODI squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, former India cricketer Robin Uthappa urges Rishabh Pant to play as an opener or as a number 3 batter. Uthappa feels that Pant can be more impactful if he comes to bat early in matches.

Rishabh Pant had a tough time in 2025. He played back-to-back matches in the Tests for Team India but was heavily criticised for his batting nature. On multiple occasions, when the team needed him most as a batter, the middle-order batter misfired, mostly for choosing wrong shots.

BCCI announced the T20I squad for the India vs New Zealand series and T20I World Cup 2026 without Rishabh Pant, which put a question mark on the southpaw's T20I career. Pant hasn't made a T20I appearance since July 2024. He can make his international return to ODIs, as he has been included in the squad for the series against the Black Caps, starting from January 11.

Read More: Watch: Sarfaraz Khan smashed 30 runs against Abhishek Sharma

Pant had a dismal IPL 2025 campaign as the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain, scoring 269 runs in 14 matches. LSG picked the keeper-batter for an INR 27 crore fee from the IPL Mega Auction. Throughout the tournament, Pant played as a middle-order batter, only to register one century and one half-century. Uthappa believes that the batter can do better if he chooses to come as a top-order batsman.

Robin Uthappa urged Rishabh Pant to open

"I believe that if he opens or plays at three, we will see the best of him soon. I was very happy when he was playing at three in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He is such a batter who should get more balls in T20 cricket," Uthappa said on a YouTube video.

"He should be given the freedom of the power play. I was so frustrated that he was the captain of LSG and batting at five. If this reaches him, bro, please open it; you will shake Indian T20 cricket. He even scored that hundred at number three last year."

Indian players are getting ready for their first international match in 2026, as India will face New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match home series on Sunday (January 11) in Baroda. Only four players of the complete squad have reportedly not joined the team yet, and here we can know the clear reason for their present absence from the national team.

White-ball series against New Zealand are crucial before T20 World Cup

The Men in Blues are ready to begin their journey in 2026 with the home three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which will start on January 11. After the ODI series, India will host a five-match T20I series against New Zealand before hosting the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, along with Sri Lanka, where India will also defend the title. 

While the national selection committee has already announced the 15-member ODI squad for the home series, most of the players have already reached Baroda for the series opener, including the former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Breaking News: Indian star ruled out of IND vs NZ first 3 T20Is

Four players were busy in Vijay Hazare Trophy; will join on Friday

However, four players of the 15-member squad are yet to join the team. These four names are Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Siraj. All these players are likely to join the squad on Friday (January 9), as they were busy in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. 

On Thursday (January 8), all four players played in the last day of the Elite group stage in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. Rishabh Pant led Delhi in their comfortable nine-wicket win against Haryana, while Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer scored 45 off 34 balls in their one-run defeat against Punjab. Also, Mohammed Siraj picked up two wickets (2/45) in their three-wicket defeat against Jammu and Kashmir, and Ravindra Jadeja (52 not out off 39 balls and 3/62) had a strong all-round performance for Saurashtra in their 145-run win against Gujarat.

The upcoming superstar opening batter of the Indian side, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, started 2026 with a bang as he smashed a cracking half-century during the second youth ODI of the three-match series against South Africa Under-19 at the Willowmoore Park in Benoni. In the absence of Captain Ayush Matre, the Bihar-born has been leading the site in the three games.

Suryavanshi celebrated his half-century in just 15 balls, blowing the wind out of South Africa’s bowling attack and recording the fastest-ever fifty in a youth ODI. India’s left-handed opening batter was eventually dismissed on 68 runs in 24 balls, which saw nailing one boundary and ten sixes. He hopes to continue the attacking betting in the upcoming Under-19 World Cup 2026.

See Also: Watch: Travis Head breaks multiple records with third century of Ashes 2025/26

With this knock, Suryavanshi broke Rishabh Pant’s record of the fastest fifty in a U-19 Youth ODI, as the Delhi batter had the record in his name of just 18 balls in the 2016 season of the Under-19 World Cup against Nepal in Dhaka. It’s quite surprising that it took so many games for the aggressive Suryavanshi to break Pant’s record.

Vaibhav Suryvanshi breaks Rishabh Pant’s record of most sixes

The ongoing series presents a fine opportunity for both India and South Africa to prepare for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup, which is set to begin on January 15, as India is placed in Group B alongside the United States of America (USA), Bangladesh, and New Zealand. They will open their campaign against the USA at the Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo.

South Africa posted 245 runs to get bundled out ahead of their 50 overs as their number four batter, Jason Rowles, cracked a fine knock of 114 runs at a strike rate of 100.88, thanks to seven boundaries and three sixes, before India completed the successful chase by eight wickets in the DLS method and claimed the series victory.

Brief Scores: India U-19 176/2 (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 68, Abhigyan Kundu 48*, Micheal Kruiskamp 2/23) beat South Africa U-19 245 (Jason Rowles 114, Kishan Singh 4/46) by eight wickets (DLS method).  

It is time for the new year 2026, and many top Indian cricketers are ready for the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the new year. Here we are going through some of the top names in the Indian national cricket team, who are expected to participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 in January 2026.

See Also: Harsha Bhogle reveals his ODI XI of the Year

Virat Kohli

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli is in dream form with the bat, as he has scored 50+ runs in the last six innings, including three centuries. The Delhi star has already played two fixtures in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored 131 and 77 runs, respectively. He is likely to play his third game in this competition on December 6 when Delhi will face Railways.

Rishabh Pant

The wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is leading the Delhi team, and he has committed to playing all matches for Delhi in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy season. In this competition, his scores are 5, 70, and 22 runs, respectively. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Indian opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal has joined the Mumbai team after recovering from stomach cramps, for which he was hospitalised after the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Rajasthan on December 16. While he is likely to feature in the match against Goa on December 31, 2025, he is likely to continue his journey with Mumbai in the ongoing List A tournament.

Shubman Gill

Indian Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill is set to return to the game after recovering from a foot injury, which forced him to miss the last two T20I matches against South Africa. The Punjab star batter is likely to play the match against Sikkim and Goa on January 3 and 6, respectively. 

Ravindra Jadeja

By participating in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is sending a clear message to the team management about his goal for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia from October to November 2027. The Saurashtra all-rounder can play the match against Services and Gujarat on January 6 and 8, respectively. 

KL Rahul

Although there is no confirmation yet, KL Rahul is likely to serve for Karnataka on January 3 and 6 matches against Tripura and Rajasthan, respectively. 

Multiple Indian key players can be dropped from the India vs New Zealand ODI series, as the T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to start in February next year. Ahead of the elite tournament, where Team India will have to defend their title, the management can restrict some of their star players from playing too many matches.

According to the latest reports, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya could miss the 3-match ODI series against New Zealand. Bumrah and Pandya are both proven match winners and integral parts of the Indian cricket team in the format. Ahead of the T20 World Cup, the team management can try to protect them.

The three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand is set to begin on January 11th. For that, BCCI will soon announce the 15-member Indian squad for this series. Shubman Gill is expected to play in the series as the captain. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will also play in the ODI series.

Read More: Virat Kohli set to play another Vijay Hazare Trophy match on this date

Multiple big names can miss IND vs NZ ODI series

 But uncertainty remains over the keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who is not in the T20 World Cup squad as well. As per reports, BCCI may rely on KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson, or Ishan Kishan for wicketkeeping duties over Pant. He has not played a single ODI match for India since 2024. He was benched during the England series and the Champions Trophy and missed the series against Australia and South Africa as well.

India vs New Zealand ODI series schedule:

1st ODI: January 11, 2026 (Sunday) – Vadodara, Kotambi Stadium, 1:30 PM

2nd ODI: January 14, 2026 (Wednesday) – Rajkot, Niranjan Shah Stadium, 1:30 PM

3rd ODI: January 18, 2026 (Sunday) – Indore, Holkar Stadium, 1:30 PM

Probable Indian squad for New Zealand ODI series:

Shubman Gill (captain), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana.