Big Blow for India: Rishabh Pant Injured During Nets Session Ahead of First ODI vs New Zealand

According to reports, Rishabh Pant will not play in the three-match, one-day international series between New Zealand and India, which begins on Sunday. According to sources, the 28-year-old is sidelined because of an internal oblique muscle tear and a right-sided strain.

As India finished their preparations, the star wicketkeeper needed medical attention for a short while after being hit during net practice. Indian throwdown experts struck Pant just above his waist, causing him to grimace in agony. The team's support personnel and other players, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, came to care for him.

Rishabh Pant Gets Injured:

At the BCA Stadium's Ground B, where India captain Shubman Gill was spotted having a long talk with the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, Pant left the field after receiving first treatment. The team doctor and physiotherapist evaluated the injury and determined it was severe enough to keep him out of the three-match series, even though he did not get scans or speak with a local physician. Although it's unclear when Pant will return, sources say he will depart the Indian camp on Sunday morning.

Rishabh Pant got injured, yet the captain and coach didn't even bother to check on him. They just continued talking and ignored him completely while he was down on his knees in pain.

What a pathetic environment. 💔 pic.twitter.com/4p6VbighbF

— RP17 Gang™ (@RP17Gang) January 10, 2026

Pant had been practising his forward defence and trying lap shots during the long practice, according to the Indian Express. In July 2024, the left-hander last represented India in an ODI against Sri Lanka. Despite not playing in any games, he was a member of the team that won the 2025 Champions Trophy. 

Pant recently scored two half-centuries against Services and Railways while leading Delhi in the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the two-Test series against South Africa at home, he had returned from a toe fracture he had suffered during the fourth Test against England in Manchester.

The Baroda Cricket Association Stadium will host its first men's international match when the ODI series against a redesigned New Zealand team gets underway. Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot will host the second ODI on January 14, while Holkar Stadium in Indore will host the third and final game.

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