is set to lock horns with the West Indies in the three-match ODI series. The first match is scheduled to be played from September 27 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
With this, the “Men in Blue” will begin their preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027. Ahead of the global showpiece, Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir said that Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are going to important for the side in the tournament.
He then said that Pandya needs game time, considering that he has not played much of cricket after the conclusion of the 2026.
“Whether it’s Hardik, whether it’s Jasprit Bumrah, both of them are going to be extremely important for us in South Africa. Because the way if you talk about Jassi or if you talk about Hardik, very few teams have a player like that who can bowl 10 overs for you, plus bat at number six or seven, plus with that impact,” said Gambhir.
“Especially for Hardik, because he needs game time as well. Because after the IPL he hasn’t played a lot of cricket. So if the focus is only that he has to play the 50-over format, then he might be short of . Game time going into the World Cup is going to be extremely, extremely important. You cannot go there half-cooked. So you should have enough game time, your rhythm should be so good, because going to the World Cup, there are no ifs and buts,” he added.
The ODI World Cup 2027 is set to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
ODI World Cup 2027: Venues for the mega event
South Africa will host games at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, SuperSport Park in Centurion, Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban, St George’s Park in Gqeberha, Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, Boland Park in Paarl and Buffalo Park in KuGompo City (formerly East London), according to the website.
Zimbabwe will stage matches at Harare Sports Club in Harare, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo and Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls, while Namibia’s capital Windhoek will host games at the Namibia Cricket Ground.