India's World Cup planning now prioritises all-round depth over Hardik Pandya's fitness timeline

India's approach to the 2027 ODI World Cup is shifting toward building proven all-round options rather than waiting for Hardik Pandya to regain full fitness. Pandya hasn't played since the IPL, hampered by recurring shin and quadriceps injuries, and he's not in the West Indies ODI squad because he can't yet bowl ten overs. Gautam Gambhir said both Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah remain central to plans for South Africa but stressed that game time before the tournament matters.

Nitish Reddy has emerged as the potential back-up. Morne Morkel believes Reddy has the attributes to compete for the role if given clear responsibilities and consistent opportunities. Reddy has already taken six wickets across two T20Is against Afghanistan after recovering from his own quadriceps injury and will feature in the ODI series against West Indies. Morkel added that workload management across the squad is being coordinated with medical staff to keep multiple players available.

The crowded calendar makes three-format players harder to maintain. Gambhir indicated senior batters may be rested from portions of the New Zealand tour to prepare for the Test series that begins three days after the final ODI. India face nine ODIs against Australia, Bangladesh and England before the cycle intensifies.