Irfan Pathan Drops KL Rahul, Picks Rishabh Pant in Playing XI for 1st India vs New Zealand ODI

India will begin a three-match ODI series against New Zealand on January 11, with the opening game scheduled to be played in Vadodara. The series marks the return of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the ODI setup, while Shreyas Iyer is set to make his international comeback after recovering from an injury sustained during the Australia tour in October last year.

Ahead of the first ODI, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan shared his preferred playing XI on his YouTube channel, offering a few bold selections. The most notable call was his decision to leave out KL Rahul, opting instead for Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper-batter.

Pathan suggested that the team could also consider bringing spinner Kuldeep Yadav into the playing XI by replacing either Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana, depending on pitch conditions. Mohammed Siraj, according to him, should continue as India’s lead fast bowler in the series.

The former cricketer also backed young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, despite his modest returns in limited-overs cricket so far. Pathan stressed the importance of patience, pointing out that genuine fast-bowling all-rounders capable of bowling at speeds close to 130 kmph are rare, and Reddy deserves an extended run.

Pathan’s proposed XI for the opening ODI included: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana or Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh or Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj.

Explaining his choice of Pant over Rahul, Pathan said the upcoming series presents an ideal opportunity to experiment. He noted that Rahul has already established himself at the number four or five position and has shown adaptability across formats. With Pant being a proven match-winner in Test cricket and transitioning back into ODIs, Pathan felt this was the right moment to give him game time while allowing Rahul a break.

India ODI Squad vs New Zealand

India’s squad for the ODI series against New Zealand includes: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Yashasvi Jaiswal.