ODI WC 2027: How many spinners should India travel with?
What's the story
India will hope to get the right balance when it comes to picking a 15-member squad for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup. The event is set to take place in Africa with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia being co-hosts. We feel India will likely go in with at least three spin options with two of them being all-rounders. Here're the spin options.
Information
India's likely World Cup squad: Our pick
India probable World Cup squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav.
Kuldeep
Kuldeep should be India's main spinner
Kuldeep Yadav is enjoying himself in the One-Day Cup for Yorkshire. He has bagged two wickets each in four successive matches.
Wrist-spinner Kuldeep needs to be India's main spinner in ODIs. He was ignored in the ODI series against England from the playing XI.
Kuldeep owns 194 ODI wickets from 124 matches at 27.04. He has 228 scalps in List A cricket at 26.22.
Duo
Axar and Jadeja as two spin all-rounders; Washington misses out
As mentioned, India should take three spin options.
We feel Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja should go to the World Cup with their experience.
Axar is guaranteed a berth and India should count upon Jadeja, who adds depth.
On the other hand, India should look past Washington Sundar. He hasn't been utilized much as a spinner of late in India's white-ball formats.