NEW DELHI : Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed the squad he would take to the 2027 ODI World Cup, and it contains several talking points. While he retained experienced names such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, he also backed a return for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. At the same time, a number of established and emerging players failed to make his preferred squad.
Ashwin Backs Experience For World Cup
Ashwin built his squad around a mix of proven performers and players who have already established themselves in India’s ODI plans.
He retained Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as the senior batters, with Shubman Gill continuing as captain. Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan completed his batting and wicketkeeping options.
For the all-rounders, Ashwin selected Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel to provide balance with both bat and ball.
Kuldeep Yadav was his specialist spinner, while Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana formed the main pace attack.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Earns Surprise Backing
One of Ashwin’s biggest calls was his support for Bhuvneshwar Kumar despite the fast bowler not playing an ODI since 2022.
Ashwin believes India’s selectors should prepare the experienced seamer for the South Africa conditions expected during the 2027 World Cup.
“Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a yes. I would communicate to him. Get him to play all the tournaments, first-class, Vijay Hazare, everything, and get him prime going to South Africa. I think we will need him there,” Ashwin said.
Bhuvneshwar has remained in impressive form in the IPL. He played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s back-to-back title-winning campaigns, taking 45 wickets across the last two seasons.
Players Ashwin Wants India To Consider
Ashwin also named several players who remain in contention but did not make his final squad.
His ‘maybe’ list included:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Mohammed Shami
- Arshdeep Singh
- Prasidh Krishna
He suggested these players could still force their way into contention depending on form over the next year.
Big Names Miss Out
Ashwin’s selections also left out several players who have featured regularly in recent discussions around India’s future.
Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma were all omitted. Ravi Bishnoi, Shivam Dube, Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar also failed to find a place.
Perhaps the most notable exclusions were Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar, both of whom have been regular members of India’s limited-overs squads in recent years.
With more than a year remaining before the tournament, Ashwin’s squad reflects how quickly competition for places has intensified. Form, fitness and performances in the next ODI cycle are likely to determine whether his predictions come close to India’s eventual World Cup squad.
