India may still be celebrating another ICC triumph, but attention inside the team management has already shifted to the next global challenge.
Less than a day after guiding India to the T20 World Cup title in Ahmedabad, Head Coach Gautam Gambhir indicated that preparations for the next major tournament—the ICC ODI World Cup 2027—are already on the radar. Speaking to India Today, Gambhir explained that the team’s long-term planning will begin once the Indian Premier League concludes later this year.
Planning for the next World Cup already underway
India’s next major white-ball objective is the ODI World Cup scheduled for 2027, which will be hosted across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. According to Gambhir, the limited number of 50-over matches before the tournament means early planning will be essential.
“The planning for the 2027 World Cup will start after the IPL. There are 25 to 30 ODIs between IPL 2026 and the World Cup. This format is not played a lot these days. The earlier we start planning, the better it will be for us,” Gambhir said.
With the IPL running from late March through May, the national team’s ODI build-up is expected to begin soon after, starting with India’s scheduled international assignments.
South Africa conditions key to squad selection
Conditions in South Africa are expected to play a major role in shaping India’s squad composition and tactical planning for the tournament.
Gambhir acknowledged that playing in the region will require careful selection decisions and a detailed assessment of players suited to those conditions. As he noted, “South Africa is not an easy place to play cricket. We have to figure out combinations and identify the players who are suited to the conditions. The selectors and the coaches will do that. By the time IPL 2026 ends, India will have a blueprint for the ODI World Cup 2027.”
India’s ODI record in South Africa has historically been mixed, although the team achieved a landmark 5–1 series win there in 2018 under Virat Kohli’s leadership.
Multiple combinations likely during build-up
Another factor shaping the team’s preparation is the relatively limited number of ODI fixtures before the World Cup. The Indian side is expected to play roughly two dozen matches across bilateral series before the tournament.
India’s build-up to the tournament will include several bilateral ODI series across different conditions. The schedule currently features a three-match home series against Afghanistan in June 2026, followed by a three-match away series against England in July. India will then host West Indies for three ODIs between September and October before travelling to New Zealand for another three-match series in October–November, which could yet become a five-match ODI series as per reports. The final ODI assignment of the year is scheduled for December 2026, when Sri Lanka will tour India for a three-match series.
Gambhir indicated that those games will be used to evaluate combinations and identify players capable of adapting to overseas conditions. “We have to see which players are capable of playing well under those conditions. We may have to try a lot of combinations as well. The final decision regarding the team for the event will come through a discussion between the selectors and the coaches.”
The approach suggests India’s management will rely heavily on experimentation during the upcoming ODI cycle.
Gambhir dismisses talk of a new dominance era
India’s recent run of success—winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 2025 Champions Trophy and now the 2026 T20 World Cup—has prompted comparisons with Australia’s dominant era between 1999 and 2007.
However, Gambhir downplayed those comparisons during the post-final press conference in Ahmedabad, pointing out that India’s ODI results have been mixed despite success in ICC events. “See, I won’t talk about white-ball cricket, because in white-ball cricket, we’ve lost two out of the last three series in one-day format. If it was an era, we wouldn’t have lost two series.”
Focus remains on winning every game
For Gambhir, defining periods of dominance matters far less than maintaining consistent performance in every match.
“I don’t believe in these eras. You have to turn up every day, whichever match you’re playing. When you’re playing for your country, you want to win each and every game,” he said.
He added that the team’s mindset does not change depending on whether the match is part of a bilateral series or a major global event. “So, there’s no if and but about this – it’s not that this is a bilateral, or an ICC trophy, or the World Cup. So, I can’t differentiate between bilateral and ICC – because it’s the same. Everything exactly remains the same.”
With the IPL season approaching and a new ODI cycle set to begin soon after, India’s management appears determined to ensure that the roadmap to the 2027 World Cup is already taking shape.
