‘Selection committee made up its mind’: Former India cricketer on Rishabh Pant’s exclusion from West Indies ODIs

Rishabh Pant (Getty Images) Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that the Indian selectors have decided on Rishabh Pant’s immediate future in white-ball cricket.Pant has been left out of India’s ODI squad for the upcoming West Indies series. However, he was named captain of the rest of India for the Irani Cup.The three-match ODI series against the West Indies will begin in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27. The second ODI will be played in Guwahati on September 30, while the third match will be played in New Chandigarh on October 3.Chopra said that the different roles Pant has been given in red-ball and white-ball cricket show how India currently views wicket-keeper batsmen.

“A very strange and very unique case”

Chopra said Pant remains an important player in Test cricket but his place in the ODI team seems to have changed.“Rishabh Pant is a very special and a very unique case. While he plays Test cricket and is a very important member of the red ball, he was also relieved of his vice-captain duties there. But in ODI cricket, without playing, he bid farewell,” Chopra told Jio Star.He also pointed to Pant being named captain of the Rest of India for the Irani Cup as another sign of his importance in red-ball cricket.“At the same time, he has been named the captain of the Rest of India (ROI), which also tells you that in terms of red-ball cricket, they are very serious about Rishabh playing a huge role in the longer format. But for white-ball cricket, I think that selection committee has made up its mind now,” he added.

Pant’s ODI future is unclear

Pant has never been a regular in India’s 50-over team and has played only one ODI in the last four years. He was also dropped from the T20I squad following India’s victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.His latest ODI omission comes as India begin preparations for the ODI World Cup 2027. Shubman Gill will captain the team against the West Indies, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also part of the 15-man squad.Dhruv Jurel is one of the wicket options while KL Rahul has been named vice-captain in place of Shreyas Iyer. Iyer will be part of India’s Asian Games campaign.

Competition for placing at the World Cup

Chopra also spoke about the competition for places in India’s wider ODI squad as the team prepares for the 2027 World Cup.“You have to think about who you can bring as a reserve for the World Cup. So there will be a toss-up between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who are both part of this team and have scored a lot whenever they have played. So I am looking for an opportunity that opens up for one of those two,” Chopra said.He also backed fast bowler Auqib Nabi to make the most of his opportunity if he gets one.“Auqib Nabi has been traveling with the team for a while now but he is not getting a chance to play in the playing XI. If he gets an opportunity, I will be quite excited to see him play,” he added.

India vs West Indies 2026 – Complete Schedule

DateMatchVenueTime (IST)September 271st ODI Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram 2:00 p.mSeptember 302nd ODI Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati2:00 p.mOctober 3rd3rd ODIMaharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh 2:00 p.m.October 61st T20IBharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow7pmOctober 92nd T20IJSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi 7:00 p.mOctober 113rd T20IHolkar Stadium, Indore19:00October 14th4th T20IRajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad 7:00 p.mOctober 17th5. T20IM. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru 7:00 p.m