After T20 glory, Gambhir sets big deadline for India’s 2027 ODI World Cup masterplan

The 2027 edition of the marquee 50-over tournament will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

“The planning for the 2027 World Cup will start after the IPL. There are around 25 to 30 ODIs between IPL 2026 and the World Cup. This format isn’t played much these days. The earlier we begin planning, the better it will be for us,” Gambhir told India Today.

He also stressed the challenges of playing in South African conditions.

“South Africa is not an easy place to play cricket. We have to figure out the right combinations and identify players suited to those conditions. The selectors and coaches will work on that. By the time IPL 2026 ends, India will have a clear blueprint for the 2027 ODI World Cup,” he said.

The ODI format is expected to bring veteran stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma back into focus, as both currently represent India primarily in 50-over cricket.

The India national cricket team will return to action on June 14 against the Afghanistan national cricket team.

Gambhir’s remarks came just hours after India successfully defended the ICC Men's T20 World Cup title by defeating the New Zealand national cricket team in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

In June, India will host Afghanistan for a one-off Test and a three-match ODI series. This will be only the second Test between the two sides after India defeated Afghanistan in their maiden encounter in 2018. It will also mark the first bilateral ODI series between the two teams.

Following the Afghanistan series, India will travel to England for five T20Is and three ODIs from July 1 to 19.