Siraj, Pant’s future in focus

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 No.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 key aspect is the selection of pacers for the three-match series. With Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested keeping the T20 World Cup in mind, it remains to be seen whether Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh are also given a break after featuring in the South Africa series.

Mohammed Siraj, overlooked for the Champions Trophy on conditions, last played in Australia and missed the South Africa tour. His absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy so far and exclusion from the ODI set-up after the 2023 World Cup remains puzzling.

Mohammed Shami, despite playing domestically, faces questions over form and communication with selectors. Among domestic performers, Sarfaraz Khan and Devdutt Padikkal stand out, owever, with Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal already guaranteed a place, it will be difficult to fit in Padikkal. The competition for spots remains intense.