Venue for World Test Championship final: India denied as England retains hosting rights for three editions

The next three editions of the World Test Championship (WTC) shall continue to have its title clash in England.

 

India was a strong contender for the hosting rights and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had also raised a strong request for the 2025-27 cycle. It did seem like the ICC might give into the request, which would also have come as a welcome change for the fans who have only seen the finals been held in England. According to a report filed by the Press Trust of India (PTI) in May, the decision seemed highly probable and the decision was expected to be made in July.

 

However, in an unexpected turn of events, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to stick to England as the hosting country till 2031.

 

The completed cycles so far - 2019-21, 2021-23 and 2023-25 all had their finals in England. In 2021, Southampton was the chosen venue amidst the COVID19 pandemic, with New Zealand beating India in a rain-marred final. Two years later, it was the turn of The Oval to get the hosting rights with India suffering another finals heartbreak, this time against nemesis Australia. Pat Cummins' men were on the other end of the result in 2025, though, as they went down to Temba Bavuma's South Africa at the iconic Lord's stadium in London.

 

 

While the next three venues are yet to be decided, a decision that is expected to be taken by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The latest decision on the WTC finals was taken at the ICC general meeting held in Singapore. The main reason behind the decision was the phenomenal success of all the WTC finals, notably the most recent one featuring South Africa and Australia, with the summit clash producing extraordinary broadcasting numbers on television and in the digital space.

 

"The ICC has confirmed the awarding of hosting rights for the ICC World Test Championship Finals for the 2027, 2029, and 2031 editions to the England and Wales Cricket Board, following a successful track record in hosting recent finals," read the official statement from the Board.

 

 

Sports