Agarkar prepares roadmap for 2027 World Cup [Source: AFP]
The BCCI selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, announced a strong squad for the India A tour of Sri Lanka. The Indian side will take part in ODIs and multi-day games against Sri Lanka A, and the tour will give a glimpse into what the future holds for the Men in Blue.
The 2027 World Cup is still far away, but the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, has already started to prepare for the marquee event, and the Mumbaikar is keeping a tab on the ongoing series, so as to pick the best in the business for the World Cup next year.
Ajit Agarkar makes his move to finalise India's World Cup squad
The first unofficial ODI between India A and Sri Lanka A is taking place on Tuesday, June 9, in Dambulla, and while several top players are playing in the contest, all eyes shifted towards Ajit Agarkar, who attended the match and kept a close eye on the selected players for the series.
A few days ago, Agarkar revealed the India squads for multiple series, and now, the head of selectors has travelled to Sri Lanka to finalise the players who can be included in the World Cup 2027.
From the current bunch of players in the A team, several Indian stars have performed, and a few of them could be on their way to South Africa if they continue to deliver the goods for the A side.
It would be interesting to see whether Agarkar picks any of the India A players for the World Cup as there are many areas that still need addressing in the senior team.
Decisions Agarkar could take for the World Cup 2027
Will Sooryavanshi be picked as a surprise package?
All eyes will be on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as India takes on the Sri Lankan side. The 15-year-old failed to deliver in the first ODI on Tuesday, but he still has a chance to redeem himself in the next two matches.
Moreover, India can spring a surprise by including him in the World Cup squad as Sooryavanshi could be India’s X-factor against the opposition. With question marks regarding Rohit Sharma’s fitness, Agarkar could be tempted to groom Sooryavanshi for the World Cup.
Also Read: Not Sachin Tendulkar, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Gets New Comparison
Keeping a tab on Ruturaj Gaikwad's form
Ruturaj Gaikwad has been in stellar white-ball form as of late, but despite his numbers, the Maharashtra batter was not picked in the ODI squad vs Afghanistan. The right-handed player eventually made the selectors realise their mistake as he smacked a hundred in the first ODI against Sri Lanka A.
On fast and bouncy South African wickets, Gaikwad’s back-foot game could be of great use, and the batter could be a solid addition in India’s middle-order.
What the future holds for Virat Kohli?
Virat Kohli suffered a hamstring injury in the IPL 2026 finals, and he was ruled out of the Afghanistan ODIs. At 37, he is not getting any younger, and the ongoing India A Vs Sri Lanka A series could give Team India their next Kohli. Maybe Tilak Varma can play at number 3 in the future. Maybe Gaikwad can be a solid option to replace Kohli.
Also Read: Shubman Gill, KL Rahul Snubbed From India's Best Test Batter Debate





