After a 1-0 defeat against the Kiwis in their backyard, team India takes Bangladesh in their home for a 3-match ODI series. The 1st match of the series commenced today at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka. As India announced their playing XI today, Rishabh Pant’s name was missing.
KL Rahul will keep the wickets in 1st ODI. During the Toss, Rohit Sharma didn’t mention about Pant being missing the game, and fans would have thought he is just benched. But now, BCCI via a tweet has informed that the 25-year-old batter has been released from the ODI series and will miss the upcoming two games as well.
Rishabh Pant gets removed from the ODI series due to medical reason
In the tweet, BCCI has cited the reason as medical issues. “In consultation with the BCCI Medical Team, Rishabh Pant has been released from the ODI squad. He will join the team ahead of the Test series. No replacement has been sought” reads BCCI’s tweet.
However, BCCI has not clearly stated what are the health issues behind forcing Pant to miss the 3 games. Although, he will join the team for the Test series which will commence on December 14. The board has chosen not to name a replacement as Ishan Kishan is already a part of the squad and is also an option as far as wicket-keeping is concerned.
🚨 UPDATE
In consultation with the BCCI Medical Team, Rishabh Pant has been released from the ODI squad. He will join the team ahead of the Test series. No replacement has been sought
Axar Patel was not available for selection for the first ODI.#TeamIndia | #BANvIND
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 4, 2022
Talking about the match, Rohit Sharma is back with leadership duties while Virat Kohli, KL Rahul also joined him after missing the New Zealand series. As Rishabh Pant missed the game, Shahbaz Ahmed replaced him in the playing XI who is a spin all-rounder. While Kuldip Sen who hails from Madhya Pradesh and plays for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL received his debut ODI cap today.
India Playing XI for 1st ODI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Sen