According to the Indian Express, Pant had worked on his forward defense and tried round shots during the extended session. The left-hander last played an ODI for India against Sri Lanka in July 2024. He was part of the 2025 Champions Trophy-winning squad but did not feature in any matches.
Pant recently led Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, scoring two half-centuries against Services and Railways. He had made his comeback after recovering from a toe fracture suffered during the fourth Test against England in Manchester, in the two-Test series against South Africa at home.
According to sources close to the team management, Pant has been largely ruled out of the upcoming ODI series, which has a very short turnaround time between the three matches. Since August 2024, Pant has not featured in an ODI for India, with KL Rahul taking over as the main wicketkeeper-batsman.
With Rahul also occupying the lower middle order positions, Pant’s entry into the already crowded Indian batting order has proven difficult. Meanwhile, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is set to make his comeback after fully recovering from a spleen injury sustained in Australia. An official update on Pant’s medical condition is expected within the next 24 hours and Ishan Kishan could possibly be named as his replacement.
The three-match ODI series against a revamped New Zealand team will begin at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium, where the first international men’s match will be held. The second ODI will take place at Rajkot’s Niranjan Shah Stadium on January 14, and the third and final match will be held at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on January 18. After the ODIs, the focus will shift to a five-match T20I series scheduled from January 21 to January 31.
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