Eyes on Pant, Siraj for ODI series againt NZ
The indefatigable duo of Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj is expected to be the big talking point on Saturday when the selectors pick a 15-member Indian ODI squad for a three-match series against New Zealand starting January 11 in Vadodara. While no major shake ups can be foreseen in the squad that beat South Africa in a preceding series a few weeks ago, two specific concerns could be addressed by the Ajit Agarkar-chaired selection committee.
The first point could be Pant’s position as the second wicketkeeper with Ishan Kishan showing his hitting prowess in the middle order for Jharkhand and Dhruv Chand Jurel also smashing a ‘Daddy Hundred’ for UP in the domestic circuit. Whether it is Agarkar or head coach Gautam Gambhir, both have shown an inclination to select personnel based on team combination. Therefore in T20 Internationals, they have gone for keepers who are openers in Sanju Samson and Kishan.
In ODIs, the same keeper is needed to primarily be a middle-order batter, coming in at number 5 or 6. To be fair to Pant, since the arrival of Gambhir as head coach, he has played just one ODI between July 2024 to December 2025. Only 31 ODI games in eight years with an average of less than 35 isn’t a true reflection of the resilient Rourkee man’s potential. In terms of impact, even his greatest detractors would agree that he is scores over Kishan and Jurel.
However, his shot selection in the recent lost Guwahati Test against South Africa neither impressed the head coach nor the selection committee. But dropping him without giving a fair run could also raise a few uncomfortable questions. The second aspect to be discussed is the selection of pacers for the three-match series. While Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested keeping the T20 World Cup in mind, it will be interesting to see if the selectors opt to give a break to the other two speedsters — Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh.
Both played in the recent series against South Africa. But Siraj, who wasn’t picked for the Champions Trophy based on conditions, played in the away series against Australia before being overlooked for the South Africa assignment. He hasn’t played in the first four rounds of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy either but might appear for Hyderabad in two of the last three rounds.
His omissions from the 50-over set up after being a regular feature till the 2023 World Cup, has been baffling. In case of Mohammed Shami, he has played for Bengal across formats but there is a school of thought that he is past his prime as far as international cricket is concerned. The communication between Shami and the selection committee has also not been particularly clear.
Among the Vijay Hazare Trophy performers, two genuine contenders are Sarfaraz Khan (for the number four slot) and Devdutt Padikkal (opener). However, with Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal already guaranteed a place, it will be difficult to fit in Padikkal.
Sarfaraz Khan has been brilliant in the domestic circuit but Ruturaj Gaikwad has already surged ahead of him among contenders with a hundred against South Africa. In the end, all selection debates would be nothing more than a storm in the tea cup if the five wise men decide to maintain status quo.
