ICC may change the format of the World Test Championship very soon. Currently, a total of 9 teams participate in the WTC, but ICC is considering increasing the number of teams to 12. Steps will be taken to give cricket a special identity in world cricket and there is also news of a roadmap being prepared for the 2028 Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles.

Arrival of three new teams

The 9 teams playing in the World Test Championship are Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. In these, each team plays 6 series (3 home and 3 away). According to media reports, now Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland can also get entry in the World Test Championship.

Actually, ICC was going to take major decisions in its first quarterly meeting of the year 2026. This meeting was to be held in Doha (Qatar) from 25-27 March, but due to the bad conditions in the Middle East, the plan of the meeting was changed. Officials did hold a virtual meeting, but till now no announcement has been made in any regard.

Plan for 2028 Olympics

The International Cricket Council is also serious about the return of cricket in the 2028 Olympic Games. Only 6 teams each will participate in the men’s and women’s events in the Olympics. The qualification process could be such that teams coming from Asia, Pacific Ocean, top teams from Europe and African continent will go to the Olympics. And being the host, USA will get direct entry.

ICC has not yet taken any decision on the sixth and last slot. There are speculations that a global qualifying tournament can be organized for the sixth team. Its roadmap can be prepared very soon.

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The Indian cricket team is ranked sixth in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-2027 points table, the team has played 9 matches in this cycle. After losing the Test series 0-2 at home against South Africa, it has become difficult for India to reach the WTC final, but the roads are not closed. That means, Team India can still reach the final.

India’s first Test series in the WTC 2025-27 cycle was against England. On the England tour, India played a 5-match Test series, which ended in a draw at 2-2. After this, India whitewashed West Indies 2-0 in the home Test series. Under the captaincy of Gill, India was going well till now, but the defeat at home against South Africa created problems and Team India dropped down in the points table.

Team India’s record in WTC 2025-27 cycle

Shubman Gill was injured in the first match of the Test series against South Africa, after which Rishabh Pant took the command. India lost this test, even though the target to win was only 124. The second test was Pant’s first test as captain, India lost that too.

• Total matches- 9
  
• Won- 4
  
• Lose- 4
  
• draw-1
• Position- 6

Now how will Team India reach the WTC 2027 final?

The Indian team still has 9 matches left in the WTC 2025-27 cycle. To maintain the possibility of reaching the final, Team India will have to win at least 8 matches. That means almost every match has to be won. By winning 8 matches the team will be able to cross the point percentage of 70. In such a situation, Team India can qualify for the final.

If we look at the last 3 finals, the average winning percentage of the teams playing the finals has been 64-68, in such a situation India will have to win at least 8 out of 9 matches.

India’s next test series

Indian team now has to play 2 series abroad. But the Indian team will not play red ball cricket till August 2026. India will tour Sri Lanka in August for the next Test series, a 2-match Test series in the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. After this, India will tour New Zealand for a 2-match Test series in October-November 2026.

Australia vs England Boxing Day Test ended in just 2 days. On the first day, Australia’s first innings was reduced to 152 runs, although England’s performance was worse than the hosts. England’s first innings was limited to 110 runs. The condition of Australia remained the same in the second innings also, the entire team could score only 132 runs. England achieved the target of 175 to win in the third session and won by 4 wickets. This is Australia’s first defeat in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-2027 cycle, which has also given some benefit to the Indian team.

England had decided to bowl first after winning the toss in the Melbourne Test. Josh Tong took 5 wickets in the first innings for England, the host team was all out for 152 runs. Then Australian bowlers Michael Neser and Scott Bowland created havoc, Michael took 4 wickets and Scott took 3 wickets. Mitchell Starc made 2 batsmen his victims.

In Australia’s second innings, 8 batsmen could not even touch double figures. Travis Head scored 46 and Steve Smith scored 24 runs. Chasing the target, Jack Crowley (37) and Ben Duckett (34) made a good start for England, after which Jacob Bethel scored 40 runs. This is England’s third win in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

Australia’s first defeat in the WTC 2025-27 cycle

Australia cricket team has already won the 5-match test series against England. This is Australia’s first defeat in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-2027 cycle, although despite this defeat, the team remains at number one in the points table. However, due to this defeat, Australia’s winning percentage has reduced from 100 to 85.71. The team has 72 points.

New Zealand team is at second place. New Zealand has won 2 out of 3 matches. Along with New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have benefited the most from this defeat of Australia. India also has an advantage in this. The Indian team has won 4 matches out of 9 Tests and lost the same number, one match has been drawn. Team India is at sixth position in the table with 48.15 win percentage.

WTC 2025-27 Points Table

1. Australia- 6 wins out of 7, 1 loss
2. New Zealand- 2 wins out of 3, 1 draw
3. South Africa- 3 wins out of 4, 1 loss
4. Sri Lanka- 1 win out of 2, 1 draw
5. Pakistan- 1 win, 1 loss out of 2
6. India- 4 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw out of 9
7. England- 3 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw out of 9
8. Bangladesh- 1 loss, 1 draw out of 2
9. West Indies- 7 defeats out of 8, 1 draw

In the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), Indian batsmen have played many such innings, which have further strengthened the definition of Test cricket. The longer format is a real test of patience, technique and fitness and Indian players have impressed the world by scoring big scores on this stage. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest innings played by India during the World Test Championship.

Historic feat of Shubman Gill

The highest score by an Indian batsman in WTC is recorded in the name of Shubman Gill. In July 2025, Gill played a brilliant inning of 269 runs in the Birmingham Test against England. He hit 30 fours and 3 sixes in 387 balls. This inning was not only big in terms of runs, but was also a great example of technique, patience and confidence. This innings established Gill as the new superstar of Test cricket.

Virat Kohli’s classic innings

Former Indian Test captain Virat Kohli had scored unbeaten 254 runs in the Pune Test against South Africa in 2019. In this innings played in 336 balls, Kohli hit 33 fours and 2 sixes. This innings is counted among the best Test innings of Kohli’s career, which made India a strong position in the early stages of the WTC.

Mayank Agarwal’s double presence

Mayank Agarwal is the only Indian batsman to make it to this list twice. He played an inning of 243 runs in the Indore Test against Bangladesh in 2019, which included 28 fours and 8 sixes.

Apart from this, Mayank had scored 215 runs in the Visakhapatnam Test against South Africa in the same year. Both these innings made Mayank an important batsman of the Indian Test team at that time.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive style

New generation batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal caught everyone’s attention by scoring unbeaten 214 runs in the Rajkot Test against England in 2024. In this innings played in just 236 balls, he hit 14 fours and 12 sixes. This innings played at a strike rate of around 90 reflects his aggressive thinking in Test cricket.

In the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), not only batting and bowling but also excellent fielding is seen. In this long format tournament, many players have changed the course of the match with their catching skills. If we look at the statistics, Australia’s star batsman Steve Smith is seen at the top of this list.

Steve Smith – Australia

Steve Smith has played 57 matches in the World Test Championship between 2019 and 2025. He has taken a total of 114 catches in 110 innings of these matches. That means on average more than one catch in every innings. His best performance in a match has been 5 catches. His quick reaction and strong grip in the slips make him different from other players.

Joe Root – England

England’s experienced batsman Joe Root is at second place in this list. Root has taken 105 catches in 137 innings of 71 matches. His catch per innings average has been 0.766. Joe Root is often deployed in the slip and infield and proves to be a reliable fielder in times of pressure.

Jack Crawley – England

England’s opening batsman Jack Crowley is at third place in this list. He has taken 59 catches in 54 matches between 2020 and 2025. His catch per innings average in 103 innings has been 0.572. Despite being young, Crawley has shown continuous improvement in fielding.

Aiden Markram – South Africa

South African captain Aiden Markram is at number four. He has taken 55 catches in just 33 matches, which is quite impressive in itself. His catches per innings average is 0.873, which shows how effective a fielder he has been even in less matches. His fielding in slip and cover has often proved to be match-winning.

Ben Stokes – England

England all-rounder Ben Stokes is at fifth place in this list. He has taken 55 catches in 114 innings of 59 matches. Although his catches per innings average is 0.482, his catches taken at difficult times have turned the tide of the match many times.

While the batsmen score runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), there have been some bowlers who changed the entire mood of the match by putting a break on the runs. The biggest weapon of these bowlers was their ‘economy rate’. That is, how many overs were bowled giving how few runs. In the history of WTC, many bowlers have proved with their precise line-length, patience and discipline that in Test cricket, not only wickets but control is also equally important.

Jack Faulks- New Zealand

At the top of this list is Jack Fulks of New Zealand, who created a stir in his debut match in 2025. He bowled at an economy rate of only 2.20 in 50 overs. 13 maiden overs and 3 wickets costing only 110 runs. These figures show a strong glimpse of their future. His statistics show that he kept the batsmen engaged in every spell, from the new ball to the old ball.

Saqib Mahmood – England

England’s Saqib Mahmood is at second place in this list. In the 2022 season, he took 6 wickets for 137 runs in 61 overs and his economy was 2.24. The specialty of Shakib’s bowling was his swing and precise length. He always kept the batsmen on the backfoot with his bowling.

Liam Dawson – England

At number three is Liam Dawson of England, who bowled 62 overs and gave only 140 runs in his only WTC match in 2025. His economy during this period was 2.25. Although he got only 1 wicket, but such economy in such a long spell puts even the big bowlers in trouble in Test cricket.

Vernon Philander – South Africa

South Africa’s experienced fast bowler Vernon Philander is also included in this list. Philander, who gave only 368 runs in 161.5 overs during 2019-20, had an economy of 2.27. Philander has always been famous for his accuracy, and he maintained the same style in the WTC as well.

Sonal Dinusha – Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan young bowler Sonal Dinusha was also successful in making it to the top-5. In a short but effective spell of 12.3 overs, he gave only 29 runs and took 3 wickets. His economy was 2.32. Such performance in such short overs is considered very special in a Test debut.

South Africa cricket team is currently on India tour, where it has started with the Test series. The visiting team has made a great start by winning the Kolkata Test, whereas in the first match, South Africa had to defend only 124 runs. The second test of the 2-match series will be played in Guwahati from 22nd November. After this, 3 match ODI and then 5 match T20 series will be played. Here we are telling you about Lucy Davy, a female member of the South Africa men’s team, who is being called the ‘lucky charm’ of the team.

Who is Lucy Davy?

Be it net practice or any team event, Lucy Davy is often seen with South Africa. She not only stays with them, but is also often seen giving instructions to the captain, coach and players. Players and members also listen and accept his words. Let us tell you that Lucy Davy is associated with the South Africa team as a media specialist.

Earlier Lucy Davy was associated with the South African women’s team. It has been more than 3 years since he has been working with the men’s team. Navbharat Times quoted Lucy Davy in its report as saying that she was interested in cricket, but she never played cricket. Lucy said, “I didn’t play cricket, but I was interested in it. I studied Communication Management and later worked with Titans Cricket. I have been associated with Cricket South Africa for the last 6 years.”

Winning the WTC final was the most memorable.

Talking about the experience of working with the men’s team, Lucy Davey said, “The experience has been fantastic, everyone is very good natured, friendly and supportive. I am probably the lucky charm of the team. It was during my tenure that the men’s team won the World Test Championship title.” He told that that victory was the most memorable for him because my parents had gone to England for the final.

The Indian team lost the first test in Kolkata by 30 runs. World Test champion South Africa has strengthened its position in the WTC points table with this win, on the other hand, India has suffered a loss in the table. While chasing the target of 124 runs in the fourth innings, the Indian team collapsed for only 93 runs.

India could not play the final of 2025 after the crushing defeat in the Test series at the hands of New Zealand and Australia. Now the question is how many matches are left for India in the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle and how many matches are required for it to win to secure a place in the final.

If we look at the current points table of the World Test Championship, India is in fourth place and has played 8 matches so far, which is much more than other teams. Australia and South Africa, ranked first and second, have played only three matches each so far. Australia (100), South Africa (66.67) and Sri Lanka (66.67) are ahead of India in terms of points percentage. India’s points percentage is currently 54.14.

India still has to play 10 tests

The Indian team still has 10 more matches to play in the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. The good thing about this is that out of these 10 matches, they have to play 6 on their home grounds. Team India still has to play one test series against South Africa, 2 with Sri Lanka, 2 with New Zealand and then 5 match test series against Australia.

If we look at the last three World Test Championship final matches, India (58.8%) and New Zealand (72.2%) went to the finals with the highest points percentage. In 2023, India (58.8%) and Australia (66.67%) went to the finals, while in 2025, they went to the finals with Australia (67.54) and South Africa (69.44%). In the current points table, Australia has not lost a single match yet, due to which its points percentage is 100. In such a situation, the final race may be more close and interesting than before.

How many wins are required for the final?

On average, the points percentage of the teams going to the finals has been 64-68. In such a situation, if Team India wins all the remaining 10 matches, then its points percentile will go up to 79.63. It will go to 74.07 on 9 wins and 68.52 on winning eight matches. This points percentage will be enough to take the Indian team to the finals.

But after 7 wins, it could be a problem for Team India. If there are 7 wins, then the result of the remaining matches is a draw or defeat, that will also affect India’s points percentage.

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The number of teams in the World Test Championship is going to increase from 9 to 12. Only 9 teams are participating in the 2025-2027 cycle of WTC, but after 2027 the number of teams may increase to 12. With this, teams like Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland will get to play more test matches. On the other hand, for the last one year, there have been continuous discussions on the two-division format. According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, no consensus could be reached on the 2-division format in the recent ICC meeting.

According to ESPN Cricinfo, the 2-division format was discussed in the recent ICC meeting, but due to the funding model and less opportunities to play with the top teams, this format could not be agreed upon.

Former New Zealand cricketer Roger Trews was leading a working committee formed by the ICC. Apart from some of the issues mentioned above, no consensus has been reached on the system of team promotion. If any one of the top-3 teams is relegated to another division, then they will not be able to play against each other. This problem was put forward by ECB CEO Richard Thompson in August.

The decision to bring 12 teams in the World Test Championship can be positive. All 12 teams will have to play a certain number of matches in the entire WTC cycle. However, no additional funds will be allocated to the country hosting a match.

While decentralization of funds could not start from the three big countries, countries like Afghanistan and Ireland will be able to play a certain number of test matches in the World Test Championship. According to the report, a board director in ICC said that this model will ensure that every country gets the opportunity to play Test cricket.

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WTC 2025-27 Schedule: India has started the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 with a bang. Under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, Team India registered its first series win in the new cycle by clean sweeping West Indies 2-0. After losing the final twice, the Indian team would like to win the trophy this time at any cost.

India at third place, Sri Lanka and Australia ahead

According to the latest points table after the win against West Indies, India has moved to third place with a win percentage of 61.90. Australia (100 percent) and Sri Lanka (66.67 percent) are currently ahead of it. The special thing is that India has played two series so far in this cycle, while many other teams are starting their campaigns. Pakistan and South Africa are currently playing their first series, while New Zealand has not played any Test yet.

India’s full schedule in WTC 2025-27

opposing team place number of matches Time

South Africa in India 2 November 2025
Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka 2 August 2026
New Zealand in New Zealand 2 October 2026
Australia in India 5 February–March 2027

There will be competition with South Africa and Australia at home

Team India will have two series on its own soil, against South Africa and Australia. The two-Test series against South Africa in November 2025 will prove to be important for the Indian players, as it can give them an edge in the race for the WTC final. After this, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be hosted by India in February-March 2027, which is considered to be the most high-voltage series of this cycle.

Tough test on foreign soil

Team India will have to go through difficult series abroad also. India will tour Sri Lanka after nine years in August 2026. In October 2026, the team will play two matches against New Zealand. This is the same ground where India has not been able to win any Test match since 2009.

India still waiting for first WTC trophy

India reached the WTC final twice (2021 and 2023) but failed to win the title. In the 2025 edition, the team was even able to qualify for the finals. Now Shubman Gill’s young team has this opportunity to create history in its third attempt.