World Cup 2027: Rohit, Kohli And Vaibhav In Uthappa’s Team
The 2027 ODI World Cup may still be more than a year away, but discussions about India’s possible squad have already started. The tournament will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, and former cricketers have begun sharing their preferred combinations for the mega event.
Former India opener and Chennai Super Kings player Robin Uthappa has now revealed his 15-member India squad for the 2027 World Cup through a video shared on Instagram.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Gets A Surprise Pick
One of the biggest talking points in Uthappa’s selection is the inclusion of teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The young batter has attracted huge attention after his impressive performances in the IPL. Uthappa appears to be backing the youngster to gain enough experience by 2027 and become a useful option for India in the ODI World Cup.
Sooryavanshi has not yet played an ODI for India, but his rapid rise has already led to discussions about his future in the senior team.
Rohit And Kohli Both Make The Squad
Uthappa has also included veteran stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in his predicted World Cup team.
Their presence is notable because there is considerable uncertainty over whether both players will still be playing international cricket when the 2027 tournament arrives. Uthappa, however, has backed their experience for the major event.
Shubman Gill has also been selected, while Shreyas Iyer gets a place in the middle order.
For the wicketkeeper-batter roles, Uthappa has picked KL Rahul and Sanju Samson, giving the team multiple options in the batting department.
Hardik, Jadeja And Axar In All-Rounder Group
The former India opener has opted for a strong all-rounder combination.
Hardik Pandya has been chosen as the main pace-bowling all-rounder, while Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel provide left-arm spin options along with their batting abilities.
Kuldeep Yadav has been included as the specialist spinner.
Interestingly, players such as Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy do not feature in Uthappa's proposed 15-member squad.
Experienced Pace Attack
Uthappa has selected Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh as his main pace options.
The surprise inclusion in the bowling unit is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The experienced pacer has been backed despite questions surrounding his future at the international level.
Youngsters including Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna have missed out, while Uthappa has also not selected Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan.
Uthappa's choices are only his personal prediction and do not represent India's official World Cup squad. With plenty of time remaining before the tournament, performances, fitness and form will determine the eventual selection.
Robin Uthappa’s Predicted 15-Member India Squad
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh.
The inclusion of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli makes Uthappa's selection particularly interesting and is likely to fuel further debate among Indian cricket fans.
