The Men in Blue have won three consecutive ICC trophies since 2024. The Indian men’s cricket team has found tremendous success recently and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) isn’t stopping hunting for more. Despite around 18 months left for the next big World Cup, i.e., the ODI World Cup 2027, the BCCI selection committee has made plans and will be looking at performances at the upcoming IPL 2026.
20 players shortlisted for ODI World Cup 2027
As per a PTI report, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel has shortlisted as many as 20 players for the 50-over edition of the World Cup. The selectors’ team that includes SS Das, RP Singh, Ajay Ratra, Pragyan Ojha and, of course, chief selector Agarkar has earmarked a batch of 20 players whom they will be keeping a careful eye on.
The players’ performances for their respective IPL units will be scrutinised. The biggest players who will be under the watch will obviously be Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who both have retired from Tests and T20Is. Their only dream remains lifting the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, for which they are keeping themselves in tremendous shape. They would love their form to stick with them too, notwithstanding that both Rohit and Kohli are the World No. 1 and No. 2 ICC-ranked ODI batters currently.
Which players are under contention?
“The BCCI is looking at each selector watching at least one game per week, which covers five games per week from the venue. Else, obviously, they can track on TV,” an official said to PTI.
The report also includes a point that the selectors won’t be disguised by some breakout performance at the IPL. Generally, a couple of youngsters overperform and the BCCI go all out to fast-track them into the international setup. Take Umran Malik as an example, who was rushed to the international setup before getting ousted due to lack of performances.
Moreover, the fitness of 20-odd players will be tracked as well. Some common names are almost certain for the 50-over side. Captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya are non-negotiable as far as the 2027 ODI World Cup is concerned. The report namedrops Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna as a potential pace attack apart from injured Harshit Rana.
Cricket
IPL 2026 performance to decide ODI World Cup 2027 fate as BCCI selectors set priorities straight
