The 2023 ODI World Cup is well past now. India had a dominant run in the 50-over event.
And it seemed the Men in Blue would lift the World Cup. But everything came crashing down in the final after Australia routed them completely. The loss was one hard pill to swallow for the players and the fans.
But the focus now needs to shift towards the 2027 World Cup. The next edition isn’t too far away. So the Indian team needs to figure out the strongest possible playing XI.
On that note, let’s see India’s probable XI for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Openers: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal
India’s current captain, Rohit Sharma, had an impactful performance in the last edition. But with age catching up, it’s unlikely he will feature in the 2027 World Cup.
So, Shubman Gill will pair up with a new partner. The right-hander has cemented his slot in the setup with his strong performances. So it’s a no-brainer to have him at the top.
Yashasvi Jaiswal will likely partner with Gill. While Jaiswal has played only a single ODI, he is likely to get tasted before the big event.
Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel
India won’t tinker a lot with their middle order. The presence of Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul will make the core strong.
Some may argue about Kohli’s age when we enter the 2027 World Cup. But we can’t ignore his fitness and his love for ODIs. So he will be an instant lock-in.
Speaking of Iyer, he is a reliable middle-order batter. He had wonderful outings in the last World Cup and Champions Trophy. That means he will walk into the XI directly.
Likewise, Rahul will continue to provide much-needed stability. Plus, he will likely keep the wickets.
Hardik Pandya will play a huge role with his all-round abilities. He can hit the ball hard and deliver crucial spells in crunch situations.
Axar Patel will assist Pandya with his left-arm spin and handy knocks. His accuracy with the ball will trouble opposition batters. And his composed batting will be worth the money.
Also See: World Test Championship 2025-27 Points Table
Bowlers: Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana
Varun Chakravarthy will be India’s lead spinner in the 2027 World Cup. His mystery spin will test opposition batters. And he gave a glimpse of it in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Jasprit Bumrah, as usual, will lead the pace attack. While he missed the Champions Trophy, he will play a massive role in the next World Cup.
Arshdeep Singh will share the new ball with Bumrah in all likelihood. His left-arm fast bowling will add variation to the attack. And he can bowl effectively in the death overs also.
With most of the World Cup scheduled in South Africa, Harshit Rana will come in handy. His ability to extract pace and bounce will be a huge boost for India in those favourable conditions.
