Rishabh Pant's return to India ODI squad delayed; reason revealed 

Soumyajit Dutta

Rishabh Pant for Delhi [Source: @Saabir_Saabu01/X]Rishabh Pant for Delhi [Source: @Saabir_Saabu01/X]

Rishabh Pant, India’s star wicketkeeper-batter, has been playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 since the beginning of the season, exceeding the mandate 'two-game per player' by the BCCI. Rishabh Pant has been grinding in the domestic league without any noticeable success, though.

In a recent development, as per reports from Cricbuzz, Pant will be joining late for the India vs New Zealand ODIs that are set to start from January 11. The reason for his joining late is his willingness to play the last VHT group stage match for Delhi, which is scheduled against Haryana on January 8.

Why Rishabh Pant will join late for NZ ODIs?

Rishabh Pant’s decision to play the last group stage match for Delhi implies that he will be missing a few days on the Vadodara camp that the Men in Blue have already set up from January 7 onwards.

While this sends a solid message to the selectors about Pant’s eagerness to stay in touch with the game, the fact that he has been on a string of loose threads cannot be overlooked.

Rishabh Pant’s form these days have been terrible. Out of the six VHT games he played, he was successful only in two with scores of 67 and 70, in the rest of them, Pant struggled to get past even the 25-run mark.

Delhi qualify for the knockouts of VHT

Rishabh Pant averages 42.40 in the tournament, and with him leading Delhi, it is understandable that he wants his side to finish the group stage on a strong note.

For the unaware, Delhi are placed in Group D of the Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite 2025–26 and currently top the table with five wins from six matches, which has already sealed their spot in the quarter-finals scheduled to begin on January 12.

Rishabh Pant not to be in the Playing XI anyways

While Rishabh Pant chose to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the preparation camps for the New Zealand ODIs, it is important to note that his selection in the playing XI for the first ODI remains uncertain.

With KL Rahul set to take over wicketkeeping duties in the XI, Pant is expected to feature primarily as a specialist wicketkeeper-batter.

Pant last played an ODI in Sri Lanka in August 2024, and his eagerness to maintain form with the bat in the Vijay Hazare Trophy becomes more understandable in light of his non-selection for the upcoming three-match ODI series.