The ICC unveiled the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 schedule in Cape Town, marking the one-year countdown to the marquee event in South Africa, which kicks off on October 2, 2027. Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh, along with Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina, shared their thoughts on India’s fixtures, the rivalry with Pakistan, and why a fit and firing Hardik Pandya will be critical to Team India’s balance in the tournament.
Yuvraj Singh weighed in on India zeroing in on its probables for the tournament well in advance:
“In my opinion, there should not be a lot of shuffling because I feel that you need to prepare the squad like a year before going to the World Cup, because you need experience in every position. Whether it’s the top order, middle, whoever your numbers four, five and six are, they need to have game time. Don’t think too far ahead because if you’re thinking straight away about winning the World Cup, you’re putting too much pressure on yourself. Just go with the flow and make sure that your 16 to 20 guys are ready to play. Before the World Cup, the team should be there in South Africa a month before to prepare. And looking at this squad, I definitely believe they have the potential to win the World Cup.”
Sourav Ganguly stressed why Hardik Pandya will be key to India’s balance in South Africa:
“I think Hardik Pandya is very important to India’s balance in the World Cup. That’s one of Gambhir’s and the team’s biggest challenges, to get him fit on the park. I don’t think he plays enough cricket, but for India, the balance has got to be right. If Hardik is injured, the next best option is Nitish Reddy. But if they have to look at Nitish Reddy as a second option to Hardik Pandya, then he must play all cricket till the World Cup. Jadeja is another option, whether they will look at him, because he is a terrific batter at number seven and is playing against the West Indies currently. But I think in October in South Africa, you will need a seaming all-rounder because none of the top five batters bowl. So you will have to get that fifth or sixth bowling option from somewhere. So that’s an area where India needs to find the right person. And that’s why I keep saying Pandya is very important.”
