India will have a clear blueprint in place for the ODI World Cup 2027 by the end of the IPL 2026 season, head coach Gautam Gambhir has said.Gambhir’s remarks came on Monday, a day after India lifted the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 title with a comfortable victory over New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.The ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. With the tournament likely to feature lively and bouncy pitches, Gambhir said the team management will focus on identifying players best suited to those conditions.In a conversation with India Today, the India head coach said the planning for the 2027 World Cup will start after the IPL.“There are 25 to 30 ODIs between IPL 2026 and the World Cup. This format is not played a lot these days. The earlier we start planning, the better it will be for us,” Gambhir told India Today.“South Africa is not an easy place to play cricket. We have to figure out combinations and identify the players who are suited to the conditions. The selectors and the coaches will do that. By the time IPL 2026 ends, India will have a blueprint for the ODI World Cup 2027,” he added.‘Yeh sab bekaar ki cheezein hain’: Gambhir dismisses concerns over team atmosphereThe coach also brushed aside questions about the atmosphere within the Indian dressing room following the T20 World Cup victory.“My philosophy is simple — if the majority of the team members are not happy with me, there is no point in me staying in that dressing room. If the majority is happy, I am doing the right job,” Gambhir said.The former India opener added that the team’s environment cannot remain hidden under intense media and public scrutiny.“Yeh sab bekaar ki cheezein hain jab bola jaata hai ki team ka mahaul accha nahi hai (It’s all rubbish when people say that the team atmosphere is not good). Neither I nor the captain has to say anything. If you follow us closely — from travelling to practice sessions to player interviews — you will know how the atmosphere of the side is.”