Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has sparked fresh debate by revealing the squad he believes should represent India at the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 4 to November 21, 2027.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo's YouTube channel, Ashwin split his selections into three categories — 'Yes', 'Maybe' and 'No' — offering a detailed blueprint for India's campaign on South African soil. Perhaps the most striking call was the inclusion of veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, while high-profile names such as Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma were conspicuous by their absence.

Ashwin's 'Yes' list

Ashwin's definitive picks read like a blend of experience and proven ODI output:

• Shubman Gill
• Rohit Sharma
• Virat Kohli
• Shreyas Iyer
• KL Rahul
• Ishan Kishan
• Hardik Pandya
• Axar Patel
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Mohammed Siraj
• Harshit Rana
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The 'Maybe' category

Several high-performing names were placed in a tentative bracket, awaiting further evidence before being fully trusted for the global tournament:

• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Ruturaj Gaikwad
• Varun Chakravarthy
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Nitish Kumar Reddy
• Mohammed Shami
• Arshdeep Singh
• Prasidh Krishna

The big 'No' list

Perhaps the most eye-catching snubs landed in Ashwin's 'No' column:

• Rishabh Pant
• Washington Sundar
• Sanju Samson
• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
• Abhishek Sharma
• Ravi Bishnoi
• Shivam Dube
• Prince Yadav
• Gurnoor Brar

Why Bhuvneshwar Kumar gets the nod

Ashwin was emphatic in his reasoning for recalling the veteran swing bowler, arguing that Bhuvneshwar's skills are tailor-made for the conducive South African conditions.

"Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a yes. I would communicate to him. Get him to play all the tournaments, first-class, Vijay Hazare, everything, and get him primed going to South Africa. I think we will need him there."

The numbers underline Bhuvneshwar's enduring value. He impressed in IPL 2026, playing a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's second straight title while finishing as the tournament's second-highest wicket-taker with 28 wickets in 16 matches, averaging 17.89 with an economy rate of 7.95.

The experienced seamer has also prospered at ODI level, taking 141 wickets in 121 matches at an average of 35.11, with best figures of 5/42. Across all international formats, he has claimed 294 wickets in 229 matches — a pedigree Ashwin clearly believes remains undiminished.