3 areas where India need to improve in ODIs

India have had a mixed run in ODIs over the past year, winning the series against South Africa in November-December 2025 but losing to New Zealand 2-1 in January 2026 and defeated Afghanistan 3-0 more recently in June 2026. Those results have highlighted certain patterns that the team management will need to address. With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 on the horizon, the pressure to fix structural weaknesses is growing.

Here are three areas where India need to improve in ODIs:-

1. Middle-overs wicket-taking ability (overs 11-40)

India have struggled to take wickets consistently in overs 11 to 40, allowing opposition batters to settle and build partnerships without regular pressure. When breakthroughs do not come in this phase, the opposition is able to set or chase large totals with greater comfort.

Kuldeep Yadav is regarded as India's premier wrist-spinner in ODIs and is expected to be the main wicket-taking option in the middle overs. However, the team needs more bowlers who can contribute in this phase. In the series against South Africa in November-December 2025, Kuldeep was India's leading wicket-taker with 9 wickets across three matches, which shows what he can do when conditions suit him. The challenge is building a more reliable collective bowling effort around him in the middle overs.