Shubman Gill to Captain New ODI Team for 2027 World Cup
India have signalled the start of a new one-day cycle with a decisive move: Shubman Gill will captain the ODI side as the team begins laying foundations for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
This is not a gentle transition. It is a reset.
Gill Era Begins in ODIs
Gill, long viewed as the natural heir at the top of the order, now takes on the responsibility of shaping an ODI group that will grow with him over the next four years. His elevation underlines a clear intent from the selectors — build early, build young, and give the new core time to breathe.
Around him, the squad carries the look of a side in construction, not in flux.
New Faces: Auqib Nabi and Naman Dhir
Pacer Auqib Nabi has been handed his maiden ODI call-up. He travelled with the Test squad to Sri Lanka in August but never got on the field. Now he steps into a format where India are actively searching for fresh fast-bowling depth.
Naman Dhir also breaks through with his first call-up to the national ODI squad. A batter with a growing reputation in domestic cricket, Dhir joins at a time when India are clearly willing to test their middle-order options early in the cycle rather than waiting for a crisis to force change.
These are not token inclusions. They are auditions with a World Cup clock already ticking.
Jadeja and Gaikwad Return
There is experience too. Ruturaj Gaikwad returns to the ODI set-up after last featuring in the home series against South Africa last year. His presence adds stability at the top and gives the management another technically assured option in the top three.
Ravindra Jadeja is also back in the ODI fold, having last played the format in the series against New Zealand in January. His return restores the familiar balance: a world-class all-rounder who offers control with the ball, depth with the bat, and elite fielding.
With Jadeja in the mix, India’s combinations suddenly look far more flexible.
Asian Games Shake-Up: Injuries and Opportunity
While the ODI squad takes shape, the Asian Games plans have been forced into a late shuffle.
Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of the tournament with a side strain, a blow for India’s spin resources in the shorter format. Nitish Kumar Reddy, initially named in the Asian Games squad, has been withdrawn and redirected to the ODI series against West Indies instead, a clear sign of how highly the selectors rate his potential in the 50-over format.
His place at the Asian Games goes to Vipraj Nigam, who now finds himself thrust into a high-profile multi-sport event with a chance to make an impression on a big stage.
India Squad for T20I v Japan and Asian Games
Shreyas Iyer will captain the T20 side for the clash against Japan and the Asian Games campaign. The squad blends established international names with players looking to cement their place:
Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (wk), Vipraj Nigam, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Washington Sundar, Yash Thakur.
There is pace in Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, guile in Bishnoi and Washington Sundar, power-hitting from Dube and Abhishek Sharma, and dual wicketkeeping options in Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson. It is a squad built to attack, not just participate.
India now enter a crucial stretch with two parallel missions: sharpen a T20 group for a medal push at the Asian Games, and quietly, methodically, begin the long march towards 2027 with Gill at the helm in ODIs.
The names are changing. The expectations are not.
