New Delhi: Team India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant, who was vice-captain for the New Zealand tour, was released from the India ODI squad currently in Bangladesh for a three-match series on Sunday.
The BCCI said in an official statement that the decision had been taken “in consultation with the BCCI medical team” and “no replacement has been sought”.
“Pant will join the team ahead of the Test series that starts on December 14. Axar Patel was not available for selection for the first ODI,” the statement added.
In Pant’s absence, KL Rahul will keep wickets as announced by skipper Rohit Sharma at the toss as the board has decided not to go for any replacement. Rahul has been slotted to bat at No. 5, which has been his position when all the main players are back in the squad.
On Saturday, the eve of the first ODI, Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the series because of a shoulder injury that he picked up while training after returning home from the men’s T20 World Cup last month. Umran Malik, who made his ODI debut on the tour of New Zealand late last month, has been drafted in as a replacement.
Shami’s recovery is being supervised at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, and he is understood to be in doubt for the two-Test series too.
Ravindra Jadeja, too, is missing the ODIs since he has not recovered sufficiently after undergoing knee surgery in September. His participation in the Tests also remains doubtful.
