‘Toss up between Jaiswal, Gaikwad’ – Aakash Chopra on India’s depth options for 2027 ODI WC

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has said he expects a toss-up between opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and middle-order batter Ruturaj Gaikwad for reserve spots in India’s squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. Chopra made the observation on September 19, 2026, as India prepared for a three-match ODI series against West Indies at home, beginning September 27.

Both Jaiswal and Gaikwad are part of India’s ODI squad for the West Indies series. Jaiswal has accumulated 285 runs in six ODIs at an average of 71.25, including two centuries and a best score of 116 not out. Gaikwad has scored 228 runs in nine ODIs at an average of 28.50, with a century and a fifty to his name.

“You have to think about who you can take along as reserves for the World Cup. So, there will be a toss-up here between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who are both part of this team, and whenever they have played, they have scored a lot of runs. So, I am looking at an opportunity opening up for one of these two. Auqib Nabi has been travelling with the team for some time now, but is not getting a chance to play in the XI. If he gets his opportunity, I will be quite excited to see him perform,” Chopra said, speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Follow the Blues’.

What does Chopra’s assessment say about India’s World Cup planning?

Chopra’s comments reflect the selection decisions made ahead of the West Indies series. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are returning to ODI cricket after an absence, and Ravindra Jadeja is back in the side after missing the Afghanistan and England ODI series. Gaikwad was included in the squad in place of Shreyas Iyer, who is representing India at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. Chopra also commented on the expectations from Rohit and Kohli on their return to ODI cricket.

“The World Cup is just one year away now, and I know that if Rohit and Kohli get in, they will score runs, win you matches, and possibly win you trophies. So, looking at it from this perspective, the only expectation from Rohit and Kohli is just this: keep scoring runs,” he said.

Chopra also highlighted the situation around Rishabh Pant, who has played just one ODI since recovering from a road accident in 2024. Pant was not selected for the West Indies series. Dhruv Jurel was preferred as the back-up wicketkeeping option after scoring a century and a fifty in the Test tour to Sri Lanka.

“Rishabh Pant is a very strange and very unique case. While he is playing Test cricket and is a very important member of the red-ball side, he was stripped of his vice-captaincy duties there as well. But in ODI cricket, without playing, he has been bid goodbye. At the same time, he has been made the captain of the Rest of India (ROI), which also tells you that, with respect to red-ball cricket, they are very serious about Rishabh playing a huge role in the longer format. But for white-ball cricket, as of now, I think this selection committee has made up its mind,” Chopra said.

Which players face a World Cup selection squeeze according to Chopra?

Chopra also pointed to the inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was pulled out of the Asian Games to feature in the West Indies series. He noted that Reddy provides India with a pace-bowling all-rounder option in the event that Hardik Pandya is unavailable. He identified the spin all-rounder slot as an area where India will face difficult choices before the World Cup. With Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar all available, Chopra noted that not all three can travel to South Africa for the tournament. 

“One big highlight, in my opinion, was pulling Nitish Kumar Reddy out of the Asian Games and playing him here. So, if Hardik Pandya is not available someday, they really want somebody who can bowl pace and bat as well. Ravindra Jadeja will have to, of course, take wickets and score runs. Fielding has always been his strong suit. But from a World Cup point of view, you have Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar, and not all of them will go to South Africa. So, someone will be left out, and therefore, every time you get an opportunity, you have to grab it with both hands,” he said.