No Rohit, Kohli; Bumrah To Captain: India's Strongest Squad For WTC 2025-2027 Cycle

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah [Source: AP Photos]

The Indian team is contesting hard in the fourth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Things are heating up between the two teams as not only the series but also a place in the final of the WTC 2023-25 is on the line.  

India need to win these two games to ensure there place in the summit clash. However, the challenge is tough and there is no guarantee of the team making it into all important clash. If India fail to make it to the WTC final, then there are chances that the management will look to revamp the Indian Test side. 

So, in this article we will try and take a look at how the Indian squad might look during the WTC cycle for 2025-27.

Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli To Retire?

Rohit Sharma is currently the Indian Test captain. However, in the recent times his form has waned down and he is struggling to score runs in the purest format of the game. The Indian player is currently aged 37 years and with the form he is going through imagining him a part of the Indian squad for the next WTC cycle will is a bit hard. 

Virat Kohli has been the most prolific run scorer for India over the past decade. However, even the modern master of India has struggled a bit with his batting in the Test format. Although Kohli is fit and we can see flashes of his batting brilliance in Test cricket, the consistency he is known for has been missing in the recent times. There is no denying the fact that his best format is the ODI and it could be a decision that benefits all the parties, if Kohli decides to stretch his ODI career till the 2027 WC.

Jasprit Bumrah To Take Over The Reins

Jasprit Bumrah has already shown that he is an inspired leader and has that X-factor in him as a leader, especially in Test cricket. If Rohit retires from Test cricket, there is a big chance that Bumrah might be handed over the role of captaincy of the team in Test. The fact the Indian pacer is already considered one of the best in the business and is the biggest game changer for the team might make him as one of the best captains. He can lead the team from the front and bring out the best from the players in the longest format of the game.

Ruturaj Gaikwad To Replace Rohit Sharma As Test Opener

Ruturaj Gaikwad [Source: @TeamRuturaj/x.com]

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been performing brilliantly in the domestic arena. The Indian opener has proven himself at the top of the order in all the formats of the game. With the promise he is showing as an opener, Ruturaj Gaikwad might well get a chance to replace Rohit Sharma, if the later chooses to hang up his boots after this WTC cycle.

Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has impressed recently in the first class matches could be a part of the squad as the second opener.

India's Probable Squad For WTC Cycle 2025-27

Jasprit Bumrah (c), Yashasvi Jasiwal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Nitish Reddy, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Devdutt Padikkal, Axar Patel