Dhruv Jurel replaces injured Rishabh Pant in India ODI squad

India’s young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has been named as the replacement for Rishabh Pant, who has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand due to a right-side strain, the BCCI confirmed on Sunday.

The injury occurred on Saturday afternoon during India’s practice session at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. Pant experienced sudden discomfort in his right lateral abdominal area while batting in the nets. He was immediately taken for scans, which revealed a side strain (Oblique Muscle Tear).

“He was taken for MRI scans immediately, and the BCCI Medical Team had a detailed discussion with an expert on his clinical and radiological findings. Pant has been diagnosed with a side strain and is subsequently ruled out of the ODI series,” the BCCI said in a statement.

Following Pant’s injury, the Men’s Selection Committee called up Dhruv Jurel, who has now joined the squad. Jurel, currently captaining Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, has been in outstanding form, scoring 558 runs in seven matches at an average above 90, including two centuries and four half-centuries.

Pant will rest for several days before reporting to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for further assessment and rehabilitation. India will hope that Jurel can fill the gap effectively as they take on New Zealand in the opening ODI later this week.

India’s ODI series against New Zealand gets underway at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, later today. The second ODI is scheduled for January 14 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, with the final match set for January 18 at Holkar Stadium in Indore. The team will be hoping for a strong start despite Pant’s absence, as New Zealand arrives with momentum from recent wins.

India's updated ODI squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK).