Big Blow for Team India: BCCI Hints at Rishabh Pant’s White-Ball Retirement

India’s tour of England saw the wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant make a strong statement in red-ball cricket. After recovering from his long injury layoff, Pant had a brilliant series and gave impressive stats with his bat. He scored 479 runs in the first four Tests, showing his ability to counter England’s bowling in tough conditions.

His batting was one of the biggest positives for the Indian side as he adapted to the demands of Test cricket with maturity and made a strong comeback after a poor IPL 2025 season. In Manchester during the fourth Test, however, he suffered a fracture to his right foot while batting, which forced him out of the fifth and final Test at the Oval.

Despite the injury setback, Pant’s batting in the series stood out as he proved again that he is among the best wicketkeeper-batters in the longer format. His absence in the final Test was a big blow to India, but his overall contributions gave the team a lot of confidence. Yet, while his Test form is impressive, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not shown the same faith in him for the white ball formats. According to sources, Pant will not be a regular feature in ODIs unless he delivers consistent performances, particularly in the Indian Premier League.

Did BCCI Hint at Rishabh Pant ODI Retirement?

According to News 24, a top BCCI top source recently revealed that the selectors have identified different wicketkeepers for different formats. KL Rahul is being backed as the first-choice keeper in ODIs, while Pant is being looked at primarily as a Test option. For the T20I format, names like Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson are also in the mix. Pant is one of the best wicketkeepers in the world at the moment, which makes him hard to drop.

This approach, suggested as “Three Formats, three wicketkeepers", shows that Pant does not have a guaranteed place in India’s white-ball squads at the moment and also reflects the BCCI's approach to select the wicketkeeper as per the format need and performances by players. Hence, it increases the possibilities of Rishabh Pant retirement from ODI cricket even more.

The same source also confirmed that Pant will not be considered for ODIs and T20s if he proves himself in the IPL. His recent form in the tournament, however, was disappointing. Playing for the Lucknow Super Giants after being bought for a record INR 27 crore, Pant managed only 269 runs in 14 matches during the IPL 2025 season. His batting average was 24.45, and his strike rate was 133, which was the lowest among players who faced more than 100 balls.

These performances have raised concerns about his ability to adapt to white-ball cricket. In ODIs, Pant has played 30 matches and scored 865 runs at an average of around 32. His career in this format has shown moments of brilliance but also lacked consistency. The combination of poor IPL form and average ODI numbers has led the selectors to choose and hold back his return as a wicketkeeper-batter in limited white-ball cricket.

Rishabh Pant's Replacements in White-Ball Cricket

Rishabh Pant white ball career hasn't gone as well as his red-ball career. The wicketkeeper last played an ODI in January 2023 against New Zealand, where he managed only 10 runs and could not make a strong impact. Since then, injuries and lack of form in the shorter formats have kept him out of the ODI squad. According to a BCCI source, the selectors are now looking towards a format-specific approach for wicketkeepers.

In ODIs, KL Rahul is being considered because of his consistent record, having scored 2500 runs at an average close to 47, along with 5 centuries and 17 fifties. Rahul’s ability to bat in the middle order and keep wickets has made him the first choice in this format. For T20Is, the competition has become even tighter, with Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson both performing strongly in IPL and recent international games. Both Jitesh and Sanju are among the best wicketkeepers in India and are hard to drop.

Jitesh’s quick scoring in death overs and Samson’s improved consistency have given the selectors more reliable Rishabh Pant ODI replacement options. Pant, on the other hand, struggled in the 2025 IPL, which further raised questions about his white ball form. Until he proves himself again in the IPL, the BCCI is unlikely to consider him ahead of KL Rahul, Jitesh, or Samson in the limited-overs formats.