15 months are left for the ODI World Cup 2027 to commence in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. 57 matches will be played across the three countries from October 4 to November 21, 2027. But the majority of the matches will be hosted by South Africa.
Therefore, Team India will have to focus on preparing for those conditions. Shubman Gill, India’s ODI captain, has already started discussions over the potential playing combinations. The Men in Blue will be the favourites, having won the last 3 ICC white-ball titles.
Team India banking on Morne Morkel for ODI World Cup
Luckily for Team India, one of their coaches is from South Africa. Assistant/fast bowling coach Morne Morkel has extensive experience. He’s one of 7 bowlers who’ve taken over 500 wickets for the Proteas. Across formats, Morkel has played 96 matches in South Africa. One can’t count the games he played at home from childhood onwards.
“I would like to think that living in South Africa and playing 20 years of cricket in South Africa, my experience counts for something. There definitely are conversations about the World Cup and planning that potentially we can take forward once we reach there or get closer to the World Cup time,” Morkel told reporters at Lord’s.
He certainly knows what works and what doesn’t in South Africa. How the surfaces will work during the winter. The lines and lengths to bowl. The venues where the spinners might come into play. What type of shots the batters must avoid and everything about the grounds, the weather, and everything else.
“I have learned my trade in South Africa. I understand the surfaces, that the wickets can play differently at certain times of the year and will put that forward to the team and to the table. From there, we just have to play our best cricket when it comes to the World Cup time,” he added.
Although rumours suggested that Morkel might think about leaving the India job, it looks like he’s ready for the ODI World Cup, especially since it’s at home. Under him, tall fast bowlers like Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar have found success. Even Shivam Dube’s improvement can be attributed to him. His experience will be invaluable next year in South Africa.
India’s ODI schedule until May 2027
| Series | ODIs | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| England vs India | 3 | July 2026 | Away |
| India vs West Indies | 3 | September-October 2026 | Home |
| New Zealand vs India | 3 | October-November 2026 | Away |
| India vs Sri Lanka | 3 | December 2026 | Home |
| India vs Zimbabwe | 3 | January 2027 | Home |
