The schedule for the 2027 ODI World Cup has been announced. This World Cup will be hosted jointly by South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe next year.
The Indian team will begin its campaign against Australia on October 7. However, there are several major questions regarding India’s squad that the team management and selectors need to address in a timely manner. It is certain that Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma will open the innings in the 2027 ODI World Cup, but if either of these batsmen gets injured, India has not yet prepared a backup opener.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is selected for the ODI team each time, but he remains on the bench. Yashasvi has played a total of 6 matches in his ODI career, and this year he has only had the opportunity to play two ODIs. If the team management is considering Ishan as an option, he has also played only 5 ODIs in 2026.
Recently, Yashasvi did not get a chance in the series against the West Indies. The middle order also appears to be a significant challenge for the Indian team. In the ODI series against England, Ishan Kishan played one match at number four, while Shreyas Iyer was brought in at this position in another match.
KL Rahul’s batting position has also been changed frequently. It is still unclear which batsman the team management wants to play in which position. Before the ODI World Cup, India has only 11 ODIs and the Asia Cup to play, so it is essential to determine the combination of the middle order.
There are also concerns in the lower order, as Washington Sundar and Axar Patel have not performed as expected. There is also suspense regarding who will take on the wicketkeeping responsibilities for India in the 2027 ODI World Cup. KL Rahul has generally been seen wearing the gloves in ODIs.
However, keeping in conditions like South Africa could prove to be a challenge for Rahul. By excluding Rishabh Pant from the team, it has been indicated that he may not fit into the team’s plans. Ishan Kishan has not received enough opportunities as a wicketkeeper in ODIs.
The pace attack for the World Cup is also not clearly defined. The role of fast bowlers will be crucial in South African conditions. The status of India’s pace attack for the World Cup is unclear.
Bumrah has played only 2 ODIs since the last World Cup. He was not included in the ODI team for the recent series against the West Indies. Prasidh Krishna’s frequent injuries are a cause for concern.
Arshdeep has not been as effective in ODIs as he is in T20s. Gurnoor Barar is being tested as the third fast bowler, but he proved to be quite expensive in the recent series against the West Indies.
Harshit Rana has also been struggling with injuries lately. As backup bowlers, Mohammad Siraj and Anshul Kamboj have not been able to perform notably.