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India will qualify for the WTC 2027 final in the event that they manage to win a minimum of seven of the remaining nine matches in the continuing 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
Gautam Gambhir wants India to qualify for WTC 2027 final. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Despite the fact that Gautam Gambhir has not managed to attain success to date as the top coach of the Indian men’s cricket team in Tests, the five-day format of the sport remains to be very near his heart, and he wants the team to do well within the upcoming three series of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle and qualify for the ultimate.
In response to Gambhir, his next goal after winning the T20 World Cup as head coach is qualifying for the WTC 2027 final.
As of now, with just 48.15 PCT% India are sixth within the WTC 2025-27 points table, and their probabilities of qualifying for the ultimate are very slim.
For India to complete in the highest two and qualify for the ultimate for the third time in 4 seasons, they should win a minimum of seven of the remaining nine matches in the continuing cycle. Of those nine matches, India can have to play two each in Sri Lanka and Latest Zealand this 12 months after which host Australia for a five-match Test series in the primary quarter of 2027.
Gambhir remains to be hopeful about India’s probabilities within the WTC. During his recent appearance within the ANI podcast, when asked about what he’s expecting to do next as head coach, he said, “Test cricket may be very near my heart. That one format is incredibly, extremely close. And I hope that first we are able to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. That’s my next goal. We still have nine Test matches to go. And the main target goes to be there.”
#WATCH | “…Test cricket may be very near my heart. I hope that first we are able to qualify for the World Test Championship final. That’s my next goal and we still have nine test matches to go and the main target goes to be there…The boys really need to do well in Test cricket, that… pic.twitter.com/5rLT8I37VA— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2026
“Yes, we’ve passed through a transition. And transition in red-ball cricket is all the time difficult as in comparison with white-ball cricket, and there are these young boys, whom we’ll keep backing in red-ball cricket. Because Test cricket isn’t easy. So, the following goal is that hopefully we are able to qualify for the WTC Final,” he added.
As per Gambhir, Test cricket may be very near his heart, and many of the Indian players are serious concerning the five-day format of the sport and wish to do well in it.
“One format which may be very near my heart. If you happen to ask me about all three formats, it’s red ball cricket. I’m still traditional and I believe many of the boys in that dressing room are. They really need to do well in Test cricket. They really do, because that’s where legacies are made. That’s where you’re feeling content once you come back. That’s the one format which provides you the chance to attain 100, 200, or 300. No other format gives you that chance, and once you undergo those five days of labor and once you get the result, there is no such thing as a more satisfaction than getting a Test win under your belt. Whether it’s the T20 World Cup final or whether it’s a 50-over game. Test cricket gives you ultimate happiness,” he said.
March 11, 2026, 10:55 IST
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