India’s ODI captain Shubman Gill has made it clear that his ultimate ambition as a leader is to guide India to victory in the 2027 Cricket World Cup. Gill believes the painful memories of the 2023 World Cup final, where India were beaten by Australia in the final, will serve as powerful motivation for the team over the next few years.
Back in 2023, India entered the tournament as one of the strongest sides in the competition. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India had a perfect campaign, winning every match on the way to the final. However, their dreams were shattered in the final.
For Gill, who was part of that squad, the defeat remains a defining moment. He believes that coming so close to the title has created a deep hunger within the Indian team to finish the job in the next World Cup cycle.
"Definitely, it does. That is the ultimate goal. We felt like we were so close last time when we were here in India. To be able to get another crack at it in South Africa, it's going to be a great opportunity for us," Gill said on Star Sports during the BCCI awards.
"Winning a World Cup in any format for the country is the ultimate goal. So obviously, that is something that sometimes runs in my mind," Gill adeed.
Meanwhile, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, who recently led India to the Men's T20 World Cup 2026 title, said that if there were one match he could replay in his career, it would be the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
"Definitely, 2023 World Cup final at Ahmedabad. [I would] love to replay that and win it," Yadav said.