Updated: 27 October 2026, with India’s latest ODI squad (New Zealand tour) and the official World Cup 2027 schedule.
India reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup unbeaten before losing to Australia in Ahmedabad. The next chance comes at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. India’s official World Cup squad has not been announced yet; teams usually name it about a month before the tournament. Here is everything we know so far: the schedule, India’s fixtures, the latest ODI squad, and UC Cricket’s predicted 15 for the World Cup.
World Cup 2027 at a glance
| Dates | 2 October – 21 November 2027 |
| Hosts | South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia |
| Teams / matches | 14 teams, 57 matches, 12 venues |
| Format | Super Series (3 lowest-ranked teams, in Namibia) → Group Stage (two groups of six) → Super 7 → Semi-finals → Final |
| Semi-finals | 17 November (Cape Town), 18 November (Centurion/Tshwane) |
| Final | 21 November 2027, Johannesburg |
India’s World Cup 2027 fixtures (announced so far)
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| India vs Australia | Thursday, 7 October 2027 | Newlands, Cape Town |
| India vs Pakistan | Sunday, 10 October 2027 | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| India vs Zimbabwe | Group stage (date to be confirmed) | Mosi-oa-Tunya Stadium, Victoria Falls |
India are in Group A. The top three teams in each group, plus the best fourth-placed side, go through to the Super 7, where the top four reach the semi-finals.
India’s latest ODI squad (New Zealand tour, November 2026)
The most recent squad gives the clearest picture of the selectors’ thinking. For the five-match ODI series in New Zealand (4–15 November 2026), the BCCI named this squad for the first three ODIs, with Shubman Gill as captain and Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya were rested to manage their workloads.
| Batters | Wicketkeepers | All-rounders | Bowlers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad | KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan | Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir | Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna*, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar |
UC Cricket’s predicted India squad for World Cup 2027
This is our prediction, not an official team. It assumes the first-choice players are fit, and that the rested pace attack returns for the World Cup.
| # | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shubman Gill (c) | Opening batter |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma | Opening batter |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | Top-order batter |
| 4 | Shreyas Iyer (vc) | Middle-order batter |
| 5 | KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| 6 | Ishan Kishan | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| 7 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Batter |
| 8 | Hardik Pandya | Pace-bowling all-rounder |
| 9 | Axar Patel | Spin-bowling all-rounder |
| 10 | Nitish Kumar Reddy | Pace-bowling all-rounder |
| 11 | Kuldeep Yadav | Wrist spinner |
| 12 | Jasprit Bumrah | Fast bowler |
| 13 | Mohammed Siraj | Fast bowler |
| 14 | Arshdeep Singh | Left-arm fast bowler |
| 15 | Prasidh Krishna | Fast bowler |
Why this squad
- Gill as captain: he has led the ODI side since late 2025 and through the 2026 home series, so he is the natural leader for the World Cup.
- Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli: both are still in the ODI squad in late 2026. Their experience on bouncy South African pitches could be valuable, though both will be in their late thirties by the tournament.
- Two keepers: KL Rahul is first choice in the middle order; Ishan Kishan offers a left-handed top-order option and is already being used as a leader.
- Pace for South Africa: pitches in Johannesburg, Centurion and Gqeberha usually help fast bowlers, so we have picked four specialist quicks plus Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
- One main wrist spinner: Kuldeep Yadav, with Axar Patel as the second spinner and a batting all-rounder.
Players who could still force their way in
Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Kumar Kushagra and Yash Thakur have all been picked in 2026 ODI squads. Strong performances over the next year could put any of them in the World Cup reckoning, especially if injuries hit the pace attack.
FAQs
When is the ODI World Cup 2027?
From 2 October to 21 November 2027, in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The final is in Johannesburg on 21 November.
Has India announced its World Cup 2027 squad?
No. Squads are usually announced about a month before the tournament. We will update this page as soon as the BCCI names the team.
Who is India’s ODI captain?
Shubman Gill is India’s ODI captain, with Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain (as of the New Zealand tour in November 2026).
When does India play Pakistan at the 2027 World Cup?
On Sunday, 10 October 2027, at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
Follow live scores, squads and ground records for every match on UC Cricket live scores.
