Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has proposed a potential squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup featuring experienced pacers Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant. The tournament is scheduled to be staged across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October-November 2027. Although more than a year remains before the competition, discussions surrounding India’s possible team combination have already intensified.

Shastri’s proposed batting unit includes captain Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, all of whom are widely viewed as leading contenders for selection. He has also included Jaiswal, giving India another opening option despite the presence of Gill and Rohit. Former India batter Aakash Chopra described Jaiswal’s inclusion as an interesting decision, noting that the left-hander has limited experience in the ODI format.

KL Rahul and Pant have been selected as the wicketkeeping options in Shastri’s squad. Chopra questioned whether Pant would return to India’s ODI plans after not receiving an extended run in the format. He also pointed to Ishan Kishan’s recent prominence in selection discussions, suggesting that competition for the wicketkeeper-batter positions could become increasingly intense as India move closer to finalising their World Cup combination.

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The all-round department features Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, offering the side a combination of batting depth and bowling flexibility. Shastri has also selected experienced left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Chopra said the decision to retain two proven left-arm spinners was understandable, particularly given their experience and ability to contribute in multiple phases of an ODI match.

India’s proposed bowling attack includes Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shami, Bhuvneshwar and Kuldeep Yadav. While Chopra regarded Bumrah, Siraj and Kuldeep as straightforward selections, he described the inclusion of both Shami and Bhuvneshwar as particularly noteworthy. Shami played a major role in India’s run to the 2023 World Cup final, while Bhuvneshwar’s experience and focus on white-ball cricket could strengthen his case if he receives regular opportunities.

Chopra rated Shastri’s proposed squad eight out of 10, describing it as an unconventional and intriguing combination. However, he said the eventual 15-member squad was unlikely to resemble Shastri’s selection completely, pointing particularly to the absence of a left-arm fast bowler. With India’s top order appearing relatively settled, competition in the middle order, wicketkeeping department and pace attack is expected to shape the selectors’ plans ahead of the tournament.

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