By Aditya
January 08, 2026
Team India will gather in Vadodara for the first match of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand on 7 January.
But Rishabh Pant will join Team India late. The wicketkeeper-batsman has been allowed to report late.
This is because he can play the entire Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) league-stage matches for Delhi. The last league match will be held in Bengaluru on 8 January.
Pant is the captain of Delhi in the domestic 50-over tournament. The team is currently on top with 20 points in Group D with five wins.
The Delhi team has just played six matches and it has lost one against Odisha. His last league match is against Haryana.
According to Cricbuzz, Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh says that Pant will play the last match.
So far, Pant has scored 212 runs in 6 matches with an average of 42.4 and a strike rate of 112.76 with two fifties.
Besides Pant, Indian ODI team vice-captain Shreyas Iyer will also join Vadodara late.
He led Mumbai to victory against Himachal Pradesh in Jaipur on Tuesday and will also play in the last league match against Punjab on 8 January.