Gavaskar's suggestion came amid the ongoing India versus New Zealand ODI series.
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar urged the Indian team management to prioritize winning the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand over long-term planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa.
Gavaskar emphasized that securing the ODI series is vital for building momentum and confidence before the upcoming Test series against the Black Caps.
With the next ODI World Cup still a year away, Gavaskar warned against premature planning. He compared this mistake to England's habit of looking too far ahead to the Ashes and losing matches in their current summer.
"Firstly, we are making the mistake that happens in England always. If England is going to Australia to play the Ashes that winter, they think only about the Ashes and lose the matches that are played in their summer. We have to think about what we need now. South Africa will be thought about when it's time for that. Firstly, you have to win the series here," Gavaskar said during a discussion on Sony Sports.
"You have won the T20 series, and if you win this series, you will go into the Test matches with great confidence. There is one more year left for South Africa. We shouldn't think about whether Siraj or (Jasprit) Bumrah should be there. We are thinking too far ahead. I know that he is going for Test match preparation after this match, but our plan is to disturb the team as little as possible," he added.
Gavaskar defended leaving Mohammed Siraj out of the playing XI for the rain-abandoned third ODI in Hamilton. He noted that India's younger pace unit—featuring Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, and Anshul Kamboj—performed well to win the first two ODIs and should not be broken up unnecessarily.
Gavaskar suggested that Siraj was likely added to the white-ball group primarily to bowl in the nets. This allows him to maintain his bowling rhythm and help Indian batters prepare for the two Test matches following the conclusion of the five-ODI series.
"Many people wanted Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to be played in the T20Is, but we went to the ground with the winning combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. The same thing is happening," Gavaskar stated.
"We are winning matches with Brar, Arshdeep, Nabi, and Kamboj. So why should you break that? Why fix it if it ain't broken? Siraj has probably been called so that our batters get good practice in the nets," he further remarked.