In a major shift in India's limited-overs strategy, veteran wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is reportedly set to be excluded from the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand.

This development comes as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) looks to reward Ishan Kishan for his extraordinary performances on the domestic circuit, signaling a potential change in the pecking order behind the stumps.

Rise of Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan has been in the form of his life, making it impossible for the selectors to ignore him any longer.

After a period of relative absence from the national setup, the Jharkhand southpaw forced his way back into contention with a record-breaking run. Kishan recently captained Jharkhand to their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title, finishing as the tournament's highest run-scorer.

He further cemented his case in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he smashed a 33-ball century against Karnataka - the second-fastest List A hundred by an Indian. This "red-hot" form, combined with his ability to provide a left-handed explosive option at the top or in the middle order, has made him the preferred choice for the upcoming home assignment.

Crossroads for Rishabh Pant

For Rishabh Pant, the omission marks a difficult chapter in his white-ball career. While he remains a central figure in India’s Test ambitions, his recent form in the shorter formats has been inconsistent.

Pant was part of the squad for the series against South Africa but spent the majority of the time on the bench, with the team management preferring KL Rahul or Sanju Samson.

Critics, including former players like Amit Mishra, have recently suggested that Pant needs to "modify his game" to adapt to changing match situations.

With Pant currently leading Delhi in Vijay Hazare Trophy, his struggle for big scores (having registered a low score of 5 in a recent outing) has reportedly convinced the selection committee to trial other options as they build toward the 2027 ODI World Cup.

The three-match series against New Zealand, scheduled for January 2026, serves as a crucial testing ground. With Shubman Gill returning to lead the side and senior players like Hardik Pandya back in the mix, BCCI is keen on maintaining "momentum and meritocracy."

By recalling Kishan, the selectors are sending a clear message: domestic performance is the ultimate currency.

India's probable ODI squad for IND vs NZ ODIs: Shubman Gill (c), Shreyas Iyer (vc), Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk)/Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana.