Team India: BCCI has now started preparations for ODI World Cup, will keep an eye on Special-20 in IPL

Indian cricket team: The ODI World Cup is still far away, but preparations have already started. BCCI has prepared a list of 20 probable players for the mega tournament to be held next year. According to the report, these players will be kept under special watch during IPL 2026.

According to sources, the selectors will watch every match closely. The selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar includes SS Das, RP Singh, Ajay Ratra and Pragyan Ojha. Along with watching the match from their respective bases, all of them will also keep an eye on the form and fitness of the players on TV.

Preparation for ODI World Cup begins
IPL 2026 is going to start from March 28, where the first match will be played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru. Throughout this season, the selectors were given a target to watch at least one match in the stadium every week.

Selectors will keep an eye on 20 players
The report clearly states that this time the selectors will not bet on any new emerging player. The core group of the team is already decided and the performance and fitness of those players will be given priority. Especially the focus will be on specialist players of 50 over format.

Four fast bowlers were shortlisted
Talking about fast bowling, it will take time for Harshit Rana to recover from his injury. In such a situation, four main fast bowlers are being considered for the ODI team – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh. Apart from these, all-rounder Hardik Pandya will also be an important part of the team.

Meanwhile, another big news has come out. BCCI has rejected the ongoing speculations regarding the tenure of selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar. According to a senior board official, his current contract is only till September and a decision will be taken later on whether to continue further or not.

Agarkar became the head of the selection committee in July 2023. During his tenure, Team India has won three ICC trophies and was also the runner-up in the 2023 World Cup. However, the team’s performance in Test cricket was not as expected. Overall, it is clear that the foundation of the World Cup is already being laid and IPL 2026 is going to be the biggest test of this plan.