Yuvraj Singh Sends Big Message To Gautam Gambhir, Reveals The 1 Thing India Must Do To Win 2027 World Cup

Legendary white-ball all-rounder Yuvraj Singh believes India possess the squad strength and potential to lift the 2027 ICC Men's ODI World Cup, provided the team management avoids excessive shuffling and settles on a core pool of 16 to 20 players at least a year before the marquee event. The schedule for the mega event was unveiled in Cape Town on Thursday, with exactly a year left before the competition begins in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. India, the two-time champions, will open their Group A campaign against defending champions Australia in Cape Town on October 7, before taking on arch-rivals Pakistan on October 10 in Johannesburg.

India are also scheduled to play Afghanistan, Qualifier A and co-hosts Zimbabwe, with the final set to be played in Johannesburg on November 21.

"In my opinion, there should not be a lot of shuffling because I feel that you need to prepare the squad a year before going to the World Cup, because you need experience in every position.

"Whether it's the top order or the middle order, whoever your numbers four, five and six are, they need to have game time. Don't think too far ahead because if you're thinking straight away about winning the World Cup, you're putting too much pressure on yourself.

"Just go with the flow and make sure that your 16 to 20 guys are ready to play. Before the World Cup, the team should be in South Africa a month early to prepare. Looking at this squad, I definitely believe they have the potential to win the World Cup," Yuvraj, the hero of India's 2011 ODI World Cup triumph, told JioStar.

Suresh Raina, the former India batter who was also a member of the 2011 World Cup-winning team on home soil, pointed out that India's current playing style and quality put them well ahead of rivals Pakistan.

Matches between the two teams have largely been one-sided in recent years across formats, a trend further illustrated by India's 8-0 record against Pakistan in ODI World Cup meetings.

"The Indian team is too far ahead at the moment in all departments. The way players have improved, the fearless approach they are batting with and their aggressive style, I don't think it's ever been like this before.

"India-Pakistan definitely brings more attention from the fans, but I think the Indian team is far superior right now. It's a World Cup game. Pakistan will also have support in South Africa, but I think we have a quality team, with bowlers capable of generating pace and bounce and handling pressure well.

"1983, 2011 and hopefully 2027. I think it's time to bring home the third title. The team will have the wishes and prayers of 1.4 billion people in India and I think they will win that Pakistan game comfortably," added Raina.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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