Why England Are Dark Horses To Win ODI World Cup 2027 Despite Lopsided Recent Record

England have not had the best record in ODI cricket in recent years. Their poor run continued after the World Cup 2023, and they struggled in the 2025 as well.

But, they still have enough quality to be considered dark horses for the ODI World Cup 2027.

England also have several players who have been in good form this year. Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler and Will Jacks have all produced important performances.

England have started to improve in ODI cricket

England’s ODI record since the World Cup 2023 has been a major concern. They finished seventh in the previous edition of the World Cup.

Their 2025 campaign was especially poor. England played 15 ODIs during the year and won only four, losing 11. They also lost all three of their Champions Trophy matches in the group stage.

However, they have improved their results and started the year by winning an ODI series away against Sri Lanka. They then produced an important 2-1 series win over India in July.

England lost the first ODI against India but bounced back to win the next two matches. In the third ODI at Lord’s, they scored 387/3 before winning the match by 27 runs.

Ben Duckett scored 141, Jacob Bethell made 91 and Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 41 off just 13 balls.

The result showed that England can still play well in ODIs against strong teams. However, they need to produce such performances more regularly.

Their current series against Sri Lanka is the best example of inconsistency. England won the first ODI by 89 runs, but lost the second match by 16 runs.

Joe Root has been in excellent form

Joe Root is one of the biggest positives for England. The experienced batter had a remarkable ODI series against India. He scored 76*, 99* and 74* in the three matches and was not dismissed once.

Root had also done well against Sri Lanka in an away series earlier in the year. He scored 61, 75 and 111* in the three ODIs. He has also scored 44 in the first ODI of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.

He can control the innings when wickets fall early and can also increase the scoring rate when the team is in a good position. His form will be crucial in the World cup 2027.

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Harry Brook can play a key role for England

Harry Brook is another important player for England. He is now the team’s ODI captain and will have a big role in the middle-order.

Brook scored 67 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in the ongoing series. He has also been in good form across formats in 2026. He scored an unbeaten 114 in the recent T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Earlier this year, in the ODI series away against Sri Lanka he scored 136* and 42.

Brook can score quickly and put pressure on the bowlers, but he can also stay at the crease and build an innings when needed. His ability to do both will be important for England, especially in the middle-order. One of the things he will have to improve on is converting his 50s into centuries. Majority of the times when he look settled, somehow he throws away his wicket and then the momentum of the match shifts.

Jos Buttler’s experience will be important

Jos Buttler is another key player for England. His experience in white-ball cricket can be very useful in big matches.

He showed his ability to change the game quickly in the third ODI against India, when he scored an unbeaten 41 off just 13 balls.

Buttler has also been in good form in 2026. He scored 80, 30 and 62* in the T20I series against Sri Lanka before the ODI series. He then scored 69 off 49 balls in the second ODI against Sri Lanka.

Will Jacks gives England good balance

England have shifted Will Jacks into more of a finishing role, and the change has helped the team. Batting lower down the order has allowed Jacks to play more freely and attack the bowlers in the final overs.

He scored an unbeaten 46 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka and followed it up with 52 in the second match. Since his role was shifted, he has averaged 44.14 in 10 innings at a strike rate of 100. He has also become an important bowling option for England. Jacks took 5/22 in the first ODI, helping England bowl Sri Lanka out for 176. It was also his first five-wicket haul in ODI cricket.

England bowling attack could play a big role in World Cup 2027

England’s bowling attack has also shown some good signs in 2026. They have several options in pace and spin, which gives them more flexibility when picking their playing XI.

Gus Atkinson has been one of their better performers in ODIs this year. He has taken six wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 4.81 which is quite excellent given in the modern ODI cricket era. Adil Rashid has also done a good job, taking eight wickets in six ODIs at an economy rate of 5.60.

Jofra Archer has also made an impact, especially against India, where he took five wickets in the three-match series. Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson can bowl with the new ball, while Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue provide more options in the fast-bowling department. Tongue who made his ODI debut in 2026 has been in terrific form in all formats in the past one year.

The conditions could also play an important role in the tournament. The ODI World Cup 2027 will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, where the conditions can offer help to fast bowlers. England already have several pacers in good form, which could be a big positive for them.

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