'India Has Faltered...' Yuvraj's Warning Ahead of 2027 ODI WC Even as Focus on Rohit & Kohli

India's preparation is well underway for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Their next assignment is the ODI series vs West Indies as they look to lock in the final squad sooner rather than later. The tournament is just over a year away. Even as the focus is on whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shall play or not, 2011 ODI World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh has a message for India.

The 44-year-old former all-rounder who was also part of the side that won the T20 World Cup 2007 and shared the Champions Trophy 2002, warned India against making too many changes since there would only be a handful of ODIs played between now and the World Cup. He reminded that every time India made massive changes, they have faltered. The southpaw also suggested taking a leaf out of the book that helped them win the T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026 by grooming a particular set of players. He added that the aim should be to at least make it to the semis of the next ODI World Cup and then look to win the last two games.

"They need to focus on building the same team to play in a year's time, because you don't want to make big changes at the last moment," he told Cricinfo.

"Whoever your players are, whether they are 16 or 20, it's important that everybody gets game time because obviously now there are more T20S and less 50-over cricket. Whatever matches there are, it's important that players get enough game time to prepare for the World Cup," he added.

"Every time India has faltered is when they've made some massive changes at the last moment or in the tournament. So, I think it's important that we stick to a team that we believe can lift the 2027 World Cup and stick by those guys whether they fail or succeed till that moment. Belief in the squad is very important," he also said.

"That's something that we have also done in the last two T20 World Cups," Yuvraj said. "We also played the 50-over World Cup final [in 2023]. So, we have had a lot of consistency in white-ball cricket. And that's what they need to do as well, to think of first qualifying for the semis and then going on to play in the last two (knockout matches). I think that's a long way ahead. Focus should be on getting a squad ready, which is together and ready to fight in any situation," he continued.