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'Tall and quick': Shubman Gill's choice of pacers for 2027 World Cup

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Preparing for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, team management is prioritizing hit-the-deck fast bowlers capable of exceeding 140 kph to secure middle-overs breakthroughs on flat wickets. Indian captain Shubman Gill addressed this tactical focus ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand, while also balancing squad rotations across multiple formats. Candidates like Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, and Gurnoor Brar have recently been auditioned to provide this required height and pace. Meanwhile, player management remains difficult as Gill and other Test squad members plan to miss the final two New Zealand ODIs.

Key points

  • Height and raw pace are India's primary fast-bowling criteria to counter flat batting sur…: Height and raw pace are India's primary fast-bowling criteria to counter flat batting surfaces ahead of the 2027 tournament.
  • The squad is eagerly awaiting the domestic cricket return of Hardik Pandya to restore mul…: The squad is eagerly awaiting the domestic cricket return of Hardik Pandya to restore multi-phase seam-bowling balance.
  • Jammed international scheduling forced India to rest Jasprit Bumrah entirely and limit Te…: Jammed international scheduling forced India to rest Jasprit Bumrah entirely and limit Test players during the New Zealand ODIs.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

When the ball stops swinging, and pitches offer nothing off the surface, how do you trouble an international batter? For

Shubman Gill, the formula is simple: sheer height, raw pace and steep bounce.

On the eve of India’s opening ODI against New Zealand at the Eden Park, Auckland, the Indian skipper laid bare the blueprint behind India’s recent pace-bowling auditions, pegging tall, hit-the-deck quicks as a core priority with an eye on the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.

"When the ball gets old, when there is not much seam or swing movement, then how do you challenge the batter?" Gill said. "You can challenge the batter either if there is something in the wicket...

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or you can challenge the batter with pace and bounce."

In recent times, several towering fast bowlers including Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana and newcomer Gurnoor Brar have represented India in the 50-over scheme of things. "Identifying the kind of bowlers that can make run-scoring difficult for the batters and that can give us the best opportunity to take wickets in…

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