Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant has never been short of comebacks. From returning to international cricket after his horrific car accident to re-establishing himself as one of India’s most important
Test batters, he has repeatedly found a way back. But his next challenge could be different. This time, he has to fight his way back into India’s white-ball teams. The left hander has not played an ODI for India since August 2024, while his last T20I appearance came during the Sri Lanka series in July 2024. He subsequently lost his place in the white-ball setup as India looked at other wicketkeeping options. The competition has only become tougher since then.
Pant’s overall international record is decent. He has scored 871 runs in 31 ODIs at an average of 33.50, including a century and five fifties. In T20Is, he has made 1209 runs in 76 matches. Those numbers are not good by themselves, particularly in T20 cricket. But Pant offers something India cannot easily measure through stats which is the ability to change the momentum of a game within a few overs. That X-factor is precisely why former India batter Suresh Raina recently backed Pant as an important white-ball player for the team.
SURESH RAINA ON RISHABH PANT:
“I think he will mature in white-ball and IPL as well. He has done really well” [Aakash Chopra YT] https://t.co/x9NIJJXglk
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 5, 2026
Rishabh Pant faces stiff competition in white ball cricket
The problem is that India have plenty of wicket-keeping options in both ODI and T20I so they no longer need to select Pant automatically. KL Rahul has been a reliable option, Sanju Samson has made his case through white-ball performances while Ishan Kishan has completed a remarkable comeback of his own. Dhruv Jurel has also made his case so there are plenty of players who are currently ahead when it comes to selection
That leaves him with a very simple task which is to perform and he has had a disappointing IPL season for the last few years which has not helped his case. His recent red-ball form certainly has been good and he has continued to produce important performances in Tests and recently became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score 2500 away Test runs.
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But Test cricket cannot guarantee him a white-ball recall. The selectors will ultimately want to see whether his stroke-making, fitness and wicketkeeping can translate into the shorter formats consistently. He needs a very good season in white ball cricket in IPL and domestic circuit
The 2027 World Cup gives Rishabh Pant a target
With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, Pant still has time to make his case. At 28, he is still at the peak of his abilities. In fact, his age means India could still build a long-term white-ball role around him if he can rediscover the consistency and form that made him such an important part of the team before his injury. Another advantage is that the left-hander has scored a century in SENA and plays the quicker bowlers really well. So he will need to wait for his chances and make sure to put up the performances to make another comeback. His Test place looks secure. His white-ball place is the one he now has to earn.
