Shami, Bhuvneshwar included: Aakash Chopra analyses Ravi Shastri’s 2027 World Cup squad

MUMBAI: Former India batter Aakash Chopra has reacted to Ravi Shastri's predicted India squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup, praising several of the former head coach's selections while questioning others. Chopra rated the squad 8 out of 10, but said he does not expect it to be India's final World Cup squad.

Chopra was reacting to Shastri's selection, which included players such as Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yashasvi Jaiswal. While India's batting line-up appears largely settled ahead of the tournament in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Shastri's choices in the middle order and bowling attack have sparked discussion.

"Ravi Shastri has named Shubman Gill as the captain. Along with him are Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, which is largely on expected lines. But picking Yashasvi Jaiswal is an excellent decision because it gives India more options at the top of the order," Chopra said in a YouTube video.

"Apart from KL Rahul, Shastri has also picked Rishabh Pant as a wicketkeeper. The truth is that Pant has not been given enough opportunities in ODI cricket. But with the World Cup approaching, whether he will return to the ODI side remains a big question. At the moment, Ishan Kishan appears to be ahead of Pant in the selectors' plans," he added.

Chopra also backed Shastri's decision to include left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. The squad also features Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar.

"Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav are almost certain to be part of the squad. But it is interesting that Ravi Shastri has picked both Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Since Bhuvneshwar is now focused only on ODI cricket, he deserves more opportunities," Chopra said.

However, Chopra believes the squad is unlikely to be India's final combination for the 2027 World Cup.

"I would give this team eight out of ten. A squad like this is possible only if Ravi Shastri himself is one of the selectors. The team lacks a left-arm fast bowler, so I don't think this will be India's actual World Cup squad," he said.