Rishabh Pant’s pathway back into the Indian ODI game has been complicated by the wicketkeeper-batter being left out for the home series against the West Indies. The fact that Ishan Kishan is also not able to make it to the ODI match is not a coincidence, but the decision is that Dhruv Jurel plays for first-choice wicketkeeper KL Rahul instead of Pant.
As a player who was expected to be the long-term successor to Dhoni in all formats, this is another failure for Pant in limited overs cricket. Although Pant is still a key part of the Indian team’s Test side, he has been left out of white-ball matches since his injury in a car accident which has put his place in the team in jeopardy.
Rishabh Pant’s ODI Road Back Gets Tougher
He made his ODI debut in 2018 and played at the 2019 World Cup. But a car accident kept him from playing in India’s World Cup in 2023.
The latest omission also raised speculation about whether Pant will be able to make a place in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Pant still has time for himself, but the competition for wicketkeeping is there. His omission from India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad further highlighted the change in his limited-overs output, with Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson picked in that group and not even Kishan or Sanju Samson.
Pant’s ODI numbers also reflect the interruptions he has had to face. The 28-year-old has played only 31 ODIs since making his debut and has scored 871 runs at an average of 33.50. His last ODI was in 2024. He was included in India’s squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy but didn’t play a match.
IPL Performance Mixed Picture
Pant's recent IPL performances have produced some strong individual performances, but his overall performance has been mixed. In 2025, he scored 269 runs in 14 innings. His 118 in his last league match was the best of his career.
In the 2026 season, Pant scored 312 runs in 14 games, his best score being 68 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. In the two seasons, he scored 581 runs in 28 games.
Pant has also been under the microscope due to his record IPL auction price. Lucknow Super Giants bought him for ₹27 crore in the 2025 auction, at that time the most expensive player in IPL history. After the 2026 season, Pant returned to Delhi Capitals through a trade.
Dhruv Jurel Preferred As Backup
The selection of Dhruv Jurel for the West Indies ODI series is a major one as Ishan Kishan’s absence appeared to open the door for another wicketkeeper. But the selectors have kept KL Rahul as the primary wicketkeeper and selected Jurel as backup to him.
India’s ODI team is led by Shubman Gill; Rahul is the vice-captain. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Naman Dhir are also part of the squad.
The selection is consistent with the current state of the line-up of ODI wicketkeeping in India. Rahul is the established choice, while Jurel has been given an opportunity to make his case. Pant, however, will need to make his case with performances outside the national ODI setup.
Pant Gets Domestic Leadership Opportunity
Pant’s next opportunity to make an impression comes in domestic cricket. He has been picked to captain the Rest of India side for the Irani Cup match against 2025-26 Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir. Sarfaraz Khan will be his deputy.
The match is scheduled from October 1 to 5 at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. All the time Pant will have to spend in the middle to score runs and show his form and fitness is a good opportunity to be in the middle of the team.
But the immediate challenge for Pant is not just to score runs. With KL Rahul as the ODI wicketkeeper and Jurel as backup for the West Indies series, the pathway back into the 50-overs team has been less clear.
Pant’s international profile and previous performances mean the door is not necessarily closed. But the latest selection decision makes his next phase particularly important. Consistent performances in domestic cricket and opportunities in white-ball events in the future could determine if he will be able to make it back to India’s ODI plans ahead of the 2027 World Cup cycle.
For now, Pant will be focused on the Irani Cup and showing his form on the field. The selectors’ decision to look beyond him despite Kishan’s absence shows that there is still a lot of competition for India’s wicketkeeping positions.
