After the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, there were plenty of concerns around veteran top-order batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and their place in ODI World Cup 2027. Their age was often mentioned and there were even widespread reports of Rohit retiring after the Lord’s ODI. However, the senior duo seem to have put an end all those speculations as they remain fully committed for the World Cup next year. While India beat West Indies 2-1 in the ODI series, the fast-bowling lineup has come under the scanner. In the absence of pace-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was part of the Asian Games 2026 gold medal-winning T20I squad, India’s pace battery was far from impressive. Also, Anshul Kamboj made a forgettable ODI debut replacing an injured Prasidh Krishna as West Indies chased down the target of 352 in New Chandigarh. In the aftermath of the ODI series, the discarded India Test batter, Hanuma Vihari has urged the return of veteran pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami.
“I think they have to bring Bhuvneshwar Kumar back. In my opinion, he is still one of the best bowlers in the country. He is proving in the IPL," Vihari said on his YouTube channel.
“You cannot depend on Bumrah and Hardik. You have to have backup in case of such injuries. I will say go with experience. Get Bhuvneshwar and Shami back," he said.
“You will have some security with experience. When you need a breakthrough, you can go to them, and they will do the job for you. You need stability and experience will always count."
After falling out of favour from selectors, Bhuvneshwar hasn’t played an ODI in well over four and a half years. Bhuvneshwar has moved away from List A cricket and solely focused on T20 cricket, becoming a vital cog in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) two Indian Premier League (IPL) title-winning squad. He has himself ruled out his ODI comeback. On the other hand, Shami hasn’t donned the India jersey since ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final. Shami hasn’t been considered across formats despite his performances in domestic cricket. Fitness concerns have often been highlighted but he has proved naysayers wrong.
How Krishna, Brar, Nabi & Kamboj fared in ODI series vs West Indies
In the ODI series, Krishna and Gurnoor Brar bagged three wickets each. Krishna was ruled out of the third ODI due to a hamstring injury and Kamboj remained wicketless on his debut. Nitish Kumar Reddy was used as the pace-bowling option too but he managed just one wicket. The idea to open the bowling him in the ODI series opener fell flat as well. Mohammed Siraj was kept on the bench for the first two ODIs and he conceded 52 runs from eight overs and bagged one wicket in a losing cause in dead rubber.
More than lack of wickets, it is the rate at which they conceded runs. In the second ODI, Auqib Nabi made his debut and conceded 84 runs from 8.5 overs. The Guwahati ODI can be pushed under the rug considering the ultra batting-friendly conditions where India chased down 404 with ease. But, Brar ended up conceding 96 runs in 10 overs. Krishna bowled five overs before getting injured and went for 45 runs. Kamboj came in, replaced Nabi and went for 82 runs in nine overs. Brar was not too impressive again as he conceded 64 runs from 9.1 overs.
Did West Indies expose India's pace battery?
“We could not defend 350. Is this not a wake-up call? I think the team is going backwards. This is a big blow," he pointed out.
“The West Indies exposed the Indian bowling attack. They are not even part of the World Cup. Imagine top teams like Australia, South Africa, England.”
This was the third-highest successful ODI run chase against India. It was also West Indies' highest successful ODI run chase.
Shami, Bhuvneshwar’s ODI numbers in South Africa and New Zealand
Shami has played just three ODIs in South Africa and he returned with nine wickets at an average of 20.55. Bhuvneshwar hasn't been successful in the ODI format in South Africa. From eight ODIs, he has managed just two wickets.
In New Zealand, Shami has a fantastic record. He has 27 wickets from 12 ODIs at an average of 22.44 including a four-fer. Bhuvneshwar is a little behind on Kiwi soil too, taking 11 wickets at an average of 37.27.
How India’s pace battery may look on New Zealand tour?
India are scheduled to tour New Zealand for a long all-format series. It includes a five-ODI series as well where Jasprit Bumrah is set to make a return. Arshdeep Singh is likely to be picked in the ODIs as well with Siraj retaining his place, especially when an injured Harshit Rana is unlikely to regain fitness. In addition, Hardik Pandya’s likely absence will hurt India’s fast-bowling stocks as well.
It is yet to be seen whether Brar, Krishna or Kamboj get the nod as the third pace or the backup pacer. Brar and Krishna may have the upper hand considering the bounce they can generate on South African pitches. If Krishna is injured, selectors may be inclined to pick Brar. The 26-year-old Brar has 14 wickets from nine ODIs but his average of 41.50 and economy rate of 7.17 runs per over is concerning.
There are a couple of other names who may found themselves in the fray. 24-year-old Prince Yadav has shown potential but he was not at his potent best in England series. Mukesh Kumar may find himself returning to the squad as well. Mukesh can use the swinging conditions of New Zealand with the new ball.
How many ODIs will India play before ODI World Cup 2027?
India are set to play 17 ODIs ahead of ODI World Cup 2027. After the five-ODI series against the BlackCaps, India will host Sri Lanka for a three-ODI series in December 2026. Then, Zimbabwe will tour India for a three-ODI series in January 2027. After the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2027 and IPL 2027, India will play a six-ODI series on South Africa soil which will work as dress rehearsal for the mega event.