3 players who deserve a comeback to India’s ODI squad

India have kicked off their road to the 2027 Cricket World Cup with a 2-1 series loss to England, where they let a 1-0 lead slip after winning the first game at Edgbaston. After a complete performance in Birmingham, the team showed vulnerabilities with both bat and ball and looked lacking in multiple areas.

With the team’s next ODI assignment coming in September, they have plenty of time to recoup and revamp their squad, with potential returnees in key areas.

Here are 3 players who deserve a return to India’s ODI squad:

3. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been in fine form in his run with the ODI side, coming in as the back-up opener for Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma on multiple occasions. In six matches, he has scored 275 runs at an average of 71, having scored two centuries in the span as well. With fellow Mumbai batter Rohit Sharma entering the final swansong of his career, transition plans will have to be made.

Having Jaiswal as the spare batter in the squad allows him to acclimatise himself with the team before he is eventually given the role at the top. With Shubman Gill’s injury record and age not being on Rohit’s side, Jaiswal could get the required game time to keep himself ready for whether the call comes for the 2027 World Cup.

2. Mohammed Siraj

Despite the much-awaited return of Jasprit Bumrah in the ODI colours, the one-dimensional nature of India’s attack was left exposed on occasions, with Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar’s hit-the-deck abilities adding no significant differentiating factor. India’s lack of a metronomic bowler who can both control the run flow and pick up wickets was a hole which looked prominent throughout the series.

Fortunately, it is a role in which Mohammed Siraj has excelled. Siraj has established himself as a powerplay maverick, offering himself as a genuine wicket-taking threat while also keeping the run-flow in check. Siraj’s return would add much-needed balance to India’s attack, with his new-ball pairing with Bumrah forming the backbone of India’s 2023 ODI World Cup run.

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad

One of the issues India faced during their losses against England was collapses in the middle order due to alterations in the batting order and a lack of role clarity within the team. They were often hard done by the absence of another frontline batter in the lineup, which could be a problem solved by Ruturaj Gaikwad. The Maharashtra man has a stellar List A record behind him and was one of the top performers for India A in the recently concluded tri-nation series.

Gaikwad scored a stunning century against South Africa in the latter portion of 2025, which looked to have sealed his place as a rotation option. The batter from Maharashtra is adept at stabilising innings in the middle overs, rotating strike with ease against the pacers and spinners. He can fulfil multiple roles in the middle order and would be a solid frontline batting option for the team.