Ultimate goal is to win the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, says Shubman Gill

Indian ODI skipper Shubman Gill has admitted that his ultimate goal is to win the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup, especially after India came close to lifting the trophy in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. Despite an unbeaten run throughout the tournament, India lost the final to Australia.

The upcoming World Cup will feature 14 teams and will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, with the tournament scheduled for October-November 2027.

India first won the World Cup in 1983 Cricket World Cup, a historic victory that transformed the popularity of cricket in the country. After a gap of 27 years, India lifted the trophy again in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, defeating Sri Lanka in the final at Wankhede Stadium.

“Definitely, it does. That is the ultimate goal. We felt like we were so close last time when we were here in [the final] in India. To be able to get another crack at it in South Africa, it’s going to be a great opportunity for us. Winning a World Cup in any format for the country is the ultimate goal. So obviously, that is something that sometimes runs in my mind,” said Gill on Star Sports during the BCCI awards as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav also said that he would love the opportunity to replay the final of the 2023 World Cup and win it. He recently led the Indian team to their third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the same venue where India had earlier lost the ODI World Cup final.

The right-handed batter also stated that India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2024 acted as a major spark, inspiring various Indian teams across different genders and age groups to win multiple ICC trophies over the past couple of years.

“Definitely, 2023 World Cup final at Ahmedabad. [I would] love to replay that and win it. I think we just needed that one spark, or one step, which we actually crossed in 2024, and post that, 2025 Champions Trophy, then [the] women’s team winning that ODI World Cup back in 2025, and then [men winning in] 2026. That one step was important, that taste was important for everyone to understand what it takes to win an ICC trophy. Now, there is no looking back. If this wonderful thing has started, let’s try and collect as many [trophies] as possible,” said Suryakumar.