Rishabh Pant’s white-ball career with India has hit another roadblock, with the BCCI selectors leaving him out of the ODI squad for the upcoming series against West Indies.

The decision is particularly intriguing because India’s first-choice wicketkeeping options, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, will be away with the team at the Asian Games. That has created a clash of priorities for the selectors, who have opted to use the West Indies series to look at some new faces and fringe players.

But instead of turning to Pant, who has been India’s second-choice wicketkeeper for much of the past two years behind KL Rahul, the selectors have handed Dhruv Jurel an opportunity in the ODI setup.

And that inevitably raises a bigger question: is Pant’s India career, at least in white-ball cricket, coming to an end?

There is still plenty of time for the situation to change. Pant remains one of India’s most naturally gifted match-winners, and his Test career continues to be an important part of the team’s plans. But the latest selection does suggest that his position in the white-ball setup is no longer secure.

For a player who was once considered an automatic choice across formats, that is a significant shift.

There are, meanwhile, several other interesting takeaways from the ODI squad. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja have earned recalls, while Auqib Nabi and Naman Dhir have received their first call-ups. The selectors have clearly used the series to expand the pool of players being considered for the future.

Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, has not been picked as he continues to recover from his injury, meaning India will have to wait before assessing his availability for the ODI setup.

Rohit Sharma has been included in the squad, which, for the time being, puts any speculation about his role at next year’s World Cup on hold.

But the biggest talking point remains Pant. Is this simply a case of selectors using an opportunity to look at Jurel, or is it a sign that Pant’s days in an India blue jersey in white-ball cricket are numbered?

Time will tell. But this is certainly another significant moment in the story of Rishabh Pant’s international career.