India's ODI squad selectors have kept a largely settled group through the 2026-27 season, with several T20I regulars yet to earn a consistent place in the 50-over setup. Three players in particular have built strong cases through their List A records and recent T20I outings.
All three featured in India's T20I squad for the New Zealand tour 2026-27 under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, yet none of them was part of the original ODI squad for the first three matches of that series. Their continued exclusion from the 50-over format raises a fair question about squad planning.
Here are three T20I players who deserve a chance in India's ODI squad:
1. Mayank Yadav
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Mayank Yadav brings pure, unadulterated pace to any attack, with a recorded top speed exceeding 155 kph. His proposed role in the ODI format is that of an aggressive middle-overs enforcer, someone capable of breaking partnerships on flat, unresponsive decks once traditional swing has faded. Across 17 List A matches, Mayank has taken 34 wickets at an economy rate of 5.35, a figure that underlines his ability to contain as well as take wickets in the longer white-ball format.
In the 4th T20I against New Zealand on the ongoing tour, he returned figures of 3 wickets for 48 runs in 4 overs as the hosts posted 259/7 in 20 overs. That performance in a high-scoring game demonstrated his willingness to bowl in difficult conditions. His List A economy of 5.35 across 17 games makes him a credible candidate for the 50-over side.
2. Abhishek Sharma
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Abhishek Sharma's batting approach fits what selectors have described as an ultra-aggressive Powerplay template at the top of the order. He has accumulated 2,196 runs across 69 List A matches, giving him a substantial body of work in the format closest to ODI cricket. His left-arm orthodox spin adds a secondary skill that provides structural depth to the bowling unit.
On the New Zealand tour, Abhishek was the leading run-scorer across the first three T20Is for the Men in Blue, finishing with 196 runs in four innings at an average of 49, and he won the Player of the Match award in the third T20I at Wellington Regional Stadium as India won by 6 wickets. His ODI opportunity as a regular opener may arrive somewhat later, given that Rohit Sharma is still active and Yashasvi Jaiswal is also in contention for that slot. However, his recent output makes the case for inclusion difficult to ignore.
3. Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma's qualities in the 50-over format are distinct from those of a hyper-specialised T20 hitter. He brings defensive maturity, the ability to rotate strike against spin and the temperament required for deep ODI chases. In 52 List A matches, he has scored 2,142 runs at an average of 47.60, a record that reflects consistency rather than cameo contributions. Tilak has already played five ODIs for India, scoring 68 runs across those appearances, with his debut coming on September 15, 2023 against Bangladesh and his most recent ODI on December 6, 2025 against South Africa.
He was named in India's ODI squad for the 4th and 5th ODIs of the New Zealand tour 2026-27, captained by Shreyas Iyer, confirming that selectors have not lost sight of him in the longer format. He was also Player of the Match in the 2nd T20I of the New Zealand tour at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, as India won by 4 wickets. Earlier, Tilak led India A to victory in the 2026 Sri Lanka Tri-Nation Series in Dambulla and captained India A at the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Oman in 2024.
