Dinesh Karthik has named his four fast bowlers for the 2027 ODI World Cup: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. Hardik Pandya is his all-rounder. Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are not in his plans at all.
Karthik went further than leaving them out. He said the ODI careers of both veterans are over. That puts him against the growing push to recall them, a debate covered in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 2027 World Cup case.
The real reason is not age or form. It is what two new balls do to a swing bowler after his first spell, and what South African pitches demand at the back end.
“My top four fast bowlers for the World Cup would be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. Hardik Pandya would be my all-rounder option.”
Dinesh Karthik, video clip, October 2026
“Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s names can be discussed, but I feel their ODI careers are now over. I don’t see either of them having a chance of making the World Cup squad.”
Dinesh Karthik, video clip, October 2026
🚨 Dinesh Karthik picks Indian fast bowlers for ICC World Cup 2027 🚨
Dinesh Karthik believes India will need a proper pace attack for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
🗣️ My top four fast bowlers for the World Cup would be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. Hardik Pandya would be my all-rounder option.
Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s names can be discussed, but I feel their ODI careers are now over. I don’t see either of them having a chance of making the World Cup squad.— Central Cricket (@arshdeep3444) October 5, 2026
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With a new ball from each end, the ball stays hard and rarely reverses. A swing bowler does his best work in the first spell. Once the shine goes, around the 15th over, he becomes a line-and-length bowler on a flat deck, and a set ODI batter will line that up. The ball that bent late early on starts arriving straight into the gloves.
South Africa asks a different question. Those pitches reward the bowler who hits the deck hard and gets bounce, which is Harshit’s method. At the death, a left-armer’s angle changes where the yorker and the wide line land for right-handers, which is Arshdeep’s value. India lost while defending 351 with 10 balls to spare. That is a back-end problem, and new-ball experience does not fix it.
From Shami and Bhuvneshwar to Harshit and Arshdeep: The August U-Turn
Two months ago, Karthik’s attack looked very different. In August, several reports said his 2027 World Cup squad included both Shami and Bhuvneshwar. Harshit and Arshdeep were not in it.
| Bowler | August 2026 (reported) | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Jasprit Bumrah | Picked | Picked |
| Mohammed Siraj | Picked | Picked |
| Mohammed Shami | Picked | Out |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Picked | Out |
| Harshit Rana | Not picked | Picked |
| Arshdeep Singh | Not picked | Picked |
| Hardik Pandya | Picked | All-rounder option |
Shami has not played for India since the 2025 Champions Trophy final. Bhuvneshwar has not played an ODI in about four years.
The new list followed India’s third ODI against West Indies in New Chandigarh on 3 October. India made 351 for 7 and still lost by five wickets as Shai Hope scored 162 not out. Debutant Anshul Kamboj went wicketless for 82 in nine overs, part of a series where India’s bowling leaked heavily. India won the series 2-1.
That defeat pushed Hanuma Vihari the other way. On 5 October, he asked selectors to “go with experience” and bring both veterans back. On Cricbuzz the same day, Karthik said India have moved beyond Shami, even though he has bowled well.
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