The 2027 ODI World Cup is just a year away, and Indian cricket fans are already excited about the likely composition of the squad. Former Indian batter Subramaniam Badrinath has named eight players who he feels will be part of the squad for the tournament to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
The 45-year-old, speaking on his Instagram handle, named former skipper Rohit Sharma and current captain Shubman Gill as the openers of the team. Rohit will be 40 by the time the tournament starts but is still one of the top ODI batters in the world and is closing in on scoring 12,000 runs in the format.
Gill, on the other hand, is the top-rated batter in this format and scored a ton in the opening game vs West Indies. At number three, Badrinath has named Virat Kohliwho has been in sensational batting form since last year. The 37-year-old scored an unbeaten century against WI and also went past 15,000 runs in the fifty-over format.
Ex-CSK star has named two batters for the number four slot, with Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad in contention. Speaking about players, the former cricketer said that Iyer is a terrific player of spin, but the conditions in South Africa could be ideal for Gaikwad’s batting.
He then named KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya as the next two players who will certainly be part of the squad for the next WC. Rahul is slated to play his 100th ODI for India on Wednesday against West Indies in Guwahati. Hardik is currently injured, and Badrinath said that he would have the all-rounder in the side only subject to fitness.
S Badrinath names two key bowlers for India for next WC
jasprit bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav were his final two names who will be part of the Indian squad for the marquee tournament. Kuldeep picked up 4/40 in the first game last Sunday and was named the Player of the Match for his efforts. The 31-year-old also needs just two wickets to reach the 200-mark in ODI format. Bumrah is in Japan with the Indian side that is part of the Asian Games 2026 campaign.
After the West Indies series, the Men in Blue will travel to New Zealand for five ODIs, five T20Is and two Tests. It will be a key series for the likes of Rohit and Virat in particular.