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Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar (Source: AFP)
With IPL 2026 nearing its conclusion and attention slowly shifting towards international cricket, India has already started preparing for the ICC 2027 World Cup.
The marquee tournament, scheduled to be played across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, is still more than a year away, but the BCCI have already begun identifying players who could form the core of the Indian squad.
As India enters a transition phase, discussions continue over senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
While both remain important members of the ODI setup, the selectors are also preparing younger options to ensure India has enough depth for a long and demanding tournament.
India's ODI World Cup 2027 roadmap takes shape
Following the completion of the T20 World Cup cycle, India's focus has now shifted firmly towards ODI cricket.
The team management is expected to use the next 18 months to test combinations, manage workloads and identify reliable backup players across departments.
India has rotated several players in ODIs due to injuries and workload management. In the batting department, players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Dhruv Jurel have remained around the ODI setup as future options.
Also Read: Ishan Kishan Replaced Yashasvi Jaiswal! Changes India Made For 2027 World Cup
The bowling unit has also seen several changes. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya have missed multiple ODI assignments, leading to opportunities for Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna.
Despite the experimentation, India are still expected to build the batting order around captain Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, concerns over Rohit Sharma's fitness continue to remain a major talking point.
The 39-year-old opener missed several IPL 2026 matches due to a right hamstring injury.
Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad Seen as Backup Openers
According to recent reports from ABP News, Journalist G. S. Vivek, Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad are being viewed as backup opening options for India’s ODI World Cup plans.
The report suggests that selectors are preparing for a scenario in which Rohit Sharma may not be available for the 2027 tournament due to fitness concerns.
If that happens, India could move ahead with Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the first-choice opening pair, with Virat Kohli at No. 3.
In such a setup, India would require dependable reserve openers for a long tournament, and both Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad fit that role.
Ishan Kishan brings left-handed variety, aggressive strokeplay and wicketkeeping ability.
Busy ODI Calendar to Define India's preparation
India are scheduled to play around 20 ODIs before the middle of 2027, giving the team management enough opportunities to test combinations ahead of the World Cup.
After IPL 2026, India will host Afghanistan for a one-off Test and a three-match ODI series. The ODI matches will be played in Dharamshala, Lucknow and Chennai.
India's home season will continue with white-ball series against Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka will tour India twice during the season, while Zimbabwe will visit India for a bilateral series.
India will also travel to Ireland for a short T20I series before touring England for five T20Is and three ODIs.
The Afghanistan series will also mark the beginning of India's formal preparations for the ODI World Cup 2027.
The BCCI recently announced the squad for the one-off Test, handing maiden call-ups to Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar.
Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja were rested as part of workload management, while KL Rahul replaced Rishabh Pant as vice-captain with Shubman Gill as the captain.
Also Read: BCCI Identifies Suryakumar Yadav’s Replacements For India’s New T20 Captain
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