India’s preparations for the 2027 ICC World Cup officially begin when they take on Afghanistan in a three-match One Day International (ODI) series starting from June 14.
The series comes only two weeks after the end of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), with players’ form in the 20-over tournament being at the centre stage for the squad selection process.
The three-match series begins at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, before travelling to the Ekana International Stadium in Lucknow and ending the series at the MA
Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Over the past few years, India’s ODI squad has been its most stable, which has not seen any drastic changes.
Here are India's predicted squad for the three-match ODI series vs Afghanistan:
Batters: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from T20 and Test cricket and thus only play ODIs on an international level. The duo, therefore, are expected to form part of the squad, alongside captain Shubman Gill.
Both Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have been consistent performers in the One Day setup and are India’s first-choice picks in the middle order, with Rahul playing as the first-choice wicketkeeper.
In terms of backups, Rajasthan Royals’ Yashasvi Jaiswal could be picked as another opener, while recent good form in the IPL could see Ishan Kishan get the nod as India’s backup wicketkeeper in place of the struggling Rishabh Pant.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel
There is a possibility that both Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel will be named in the playing XI, with Axar being the side’s second spinner.
Hardik, on the other hand, continues to remain a vital member of India’s white-ball squad regardless of the format. The Baroda all-rounder played a crucial role in helping the Men in Blue secure their second successive T20 World Cup earlier this year.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, meanwhile, could be picked as a backup all-rounder in the team ahead of the likes of Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja.
Bowlers: Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna
The fast bowling department will be taken care of by the presence of Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh.
India are expected to be without talisman Jasprit Bumrah, who could be given a rest to manage his workload after playing the entire IPL for the Mumbai Indians.
Harshit Rana, on the other hand, was ruled out for the entirety of the tournament with a knee injury and will not be fit in time for the Afghanistan series.
Kuldeep Yadav will most likely be the lead spinner for India, with Axar Patel providing adequate support in the middle overs.
India’s predicted squad for the three-match ODI series vs Afghanistan:
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna
