Dhruv Jurel Named as Rishabh Pant’s Replacement for IND vs NZ ODI Series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally revealed a replacement for injured Rishabh Pant. Just a few hours ago, before the commencement of the first one-day international match between India and New Zealand, the BCCI revealed that Dhruv Jurel has been included in the Indian squad. He is going as a replacement for Rishabh Pant, who has suffered a side strain. Rishabh Pant suffered this injury while he was batting in the practice nets on Thursday evening.

Dhruv Jurel Earns ODI Call-Up After Pant’s Injury on the Back of Stellar Vijay Hazare Trophy Form

However, the match was not to be as Pant had joined the team the previous day itself, having completed his commitments in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with Delhi. While he was undergoing an extended batting practice at the BCA Ground B, he was hit above his waist by a throw-down specialist.

Grimacing in pain, he was treated by the support staff members as well as his head coach Gautam Gambhir before he was forced to limp off the field. Subsequent MRI tests revealed an injury to the internal oblique muscle, thus making him unfit for the three-match ODI series.

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Dhruv Jurel Wicketkeeper-Batter

Dhruv Chand Jurel is an Indian right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman from Agra, known for playing for Uttar Pradesh (domestic), Rajasthan Royals (IPL), and Team India in Tests, with notable performances like a Test century and Player of the Match in his second Test, rising from a humble background with an army veteran father to become a rising star in Indian cricket,.

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Rishabh Pant Wicketkeeper

Rishabh Rajendra Pant is India's dynamic left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman, known for aggressive scoring in all formats, playing for India, Delhi (domestic), and captaining LSG in the IPL since 2025, a comeback hero from a serious accident, holding records like most dismissals in a Test match (11) and most sixes by an Indian keeper, earning Laureus nomination in 2025.

Jurel has simply been ridiculous in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, doing everything humanly possible to make a statement to the selectors even before his teammate’s injury. Playing for Uttar Pradesh, Jurel has scored a total of 558 runs from seven outings, averaging a ridiculous 93.00 and striking at a rate of 122.91, which includes four fifties and a brilliant 160 not out against Baroda, his team’s highest individual effort in a List-A game. His display in his last league encounter against Bengal, where he smashed 123 from 96, says a lot about his performance.

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India Founded: 1926

The India National Cricket Team represents India in international cricket and is one of the strongest teams in the world.

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New Zealand Founded: 1894

The New Zealand cricket team, known as the Black Caps, is a competitive side in international cricket, having reached the finals of major tournaments such as the World Cup and the T20 World Cup.

Jurel has been batted at position 3 in the tournament, proving that he has the ability to anchor one end of the innings as well as accelerate should the need arise, which he has already done in the lower-order in Tests and T20 matches. In List A matches (not including the Emerging Asia Cup), Jurel has scored 716 runs at the incredible average of 89.50 with a strike rate of 113.29.

Jurel is already a member of the Indian Test squad and is aware of the conditions. He replaces Ishan Kishan in the squad, who was expected to be initially present in the team according to sources. Kishan is already a member in the Indian T20 international squad in the World Cup and could potentially be a part in the ODI format as well in order to adapt himself to the current coaching staff. BCCI has even rewarded Jurel who was a part of the previous series in which Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were absent.

India’s Updated ODI Squad for New Zealand Series

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK)

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DSG VS PR 23rd T20 SA20 2025-26: Where to Watch Paarl Royals vs Durban Super Giants, H2H, Playing 11 & Full Match Details The 23rdmatch of the SA20 will play between Paarl Royalswill face the Durban Super Giantson Tuesday, 13thJanuary at 9:00PM.

by Dwijesh January 11, 2026