New Delhi: India captain Shubman Gill has admitted that injuries and a congested schedule have made it impossible for the team to settle on a preferred bowling combination, voicing his frustration after the ODI series against West Indies with the 2027 ODI World Cup now less than a year away.
Gill’s candid assessment points to a problem that has shadowed India for months. Key bowlers have been sidelined in phases, forcing the team management to reshuffle the attack repeatedly and stalling the search for a settled core group.
The stop-start pattern has been especially damaging because bowling attacks thrive on rhythm. New-ball pairs need time to understand each other’s strengths, spinners need long spells to find their lengths, and death bowlers need repeated exposure to pressure — none of which is possible when the personnel keeps changing.
“I would say it’s been unfortunate, you know, with the injuries and with the scheduling, with the other matches being around. It’s been a little bit unfortunate that we have not been able to play the bowling lineup that we would like,” Gill said.
A combination that never settles
With the World Cup approaching, India had hoped to use this phase to back a stable group of bowlers and build rhythm within the attack. Instead, fitness setbacks have kept interrupting those plans, and Gill acknowledged the side has rarely been able to field the combination it actually wants.
Overlapping assignments have compounded the issue. With players shuttling between formats, the management has had little chance to give one bowling unit an extended run together.
The CoE question
Gill’s remarks come as the BCCI moves to tighten coordination between the selectors and the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The board has decided that CoE head VVS Laxman will attend all senior selection meetings so accurate fitness information reaches the selectors — a step aimed at ending miscommunication over injured players.
Notably, Gill had rejected suggestions of any disconnect back in August, insisting the team remained in close touch with the Bengaluru facility.
“There is a constant communication with them,” Gill had said in August.
The BCCI’s latest decision formalises that channel, giving selectors a direct line to rehabilitation timelines before squads are finalised.
What’s next
India’s focus now shifts to the tour of New Zealand, where squads across formats are being finalised. The debate over the Test squad is already underway, and the newly announced T20I squad shows how heavily injuries continue to shape selection calls.
For Gill, the immediate target is simple: get his frontline bowlers fit, keep them on the park, and build the combinations India will need when the World Cup arrives.
