The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s Chief Selection Committee recently announced the T20I squad for the T20 International series against New Zealand. This suggests that the selectors are closely monitoring domestic cricket. This is why Ishan Kishan, who performed brilliantly in the domestic tournament, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, has been able to make a comeback to the T20I team after a long time.
Ishan Kishan to make comeback in ODI team?
The selection committee is expected to announce the Indian team this week for the ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11th. Reports suggest that Ishan may also return to the ODI squad following his impressive performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. If this happens, Rishabh Pant is certain to be dropped.According to media reports, Rishabh Pant is unlikely to be selected for the ODI series. Ishan Kishan is the frontrunner to replace him.
Shubman Gill is expected to return as ODI captain. However, the availability of India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer remains uncertain, as he has not yet been declared fully fit.Rishabh Pant hasn’t had a particularly impressive domestic season either. Pant is currently captaining Delhi in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, and his early performances have been inconsistent. In his first two matches of the VHT season, he managed scores of 5 and 70. In the middle order, where India often seeks stability from a wicketkeeper-batsman, his inconsistent performances are difficult to accept.
Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan is in excellent form, which is hard to ignore. He played his last ODI on October 11, 2023, against Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup 2023 in Delhi. Currently, he is performing well in domestic cricket across all formats. He led Jharkhand to their first title in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, finishing as the leading run-scorer.
He then continued his form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring a century off 33 balls against Karnataka, setting the record for the second-fastest List A century by an Indian.