With England hosting the last two World Test Championship (WTC) finals and the upcoming third one, India has decided to raise its hand for 2027. As reported by The Guardian, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shown interest in bidding to host the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2027.
A Look Back at Previous WTC Finals
The final of the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship, the inaugural ICC World Test Championship, was played from 18 to 23 June 2021 at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, England, between India and New Zealand. New Zealand emerged victorious, but the format proved it could be a big hit.
The final of the 2021–2023 ICC World Test Championship, a Test cricket match, was played from 7 to 11 June 2023 at The Oval, London, between Australia and India. Australia won the match by 209 runs to win the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship.
The ICC has officially announced the schedule for this year’s World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will take place at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. The highly anticipated one-off Test is set to be played from 11 to 15 June 2025, with 16 June designated as a reserve day if required. For the first time, the first four days are completely sold out, showing the format’s growing popularity.
BCCI’s Interest in Hosting the 2027 WTC Final
According to The Guardian, India expressed its formal interest in hosting the 2027 final during the ICC Chief Executives Committee meeting in Zimbabwe.
The report stated, “The Guardian has learned that India expressed their intention to bid for the 2027 final at a meeting of the ICC’s chief executives committee in Zimbabwe last month. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is represented on the ICC committee by its chief executive, Arun Singh Dhumal, while his predecessor Jay Shah is chair of the ICC, so a formal Indian bid would be regarded as a fait accompli.”
Arun Dhumal and Jay Shah’s Influence
With powerful voices representing India in ICC, the momentum clearly favors the BCCI’s proposal. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been the natural host thanks to weather, tradition, and crowd pull. Both the 2021 and 2023 finals were sell-outs. Lord’s this year is following the trend—big win for the ECB.
The report added, “While the England and Wales Cricket Board had not assumed it would host the WTC final in perpetuity, the English summer and a strong domestic ticket market regardless of which teams qualify makes it a natural venue. The ECB is understood to be pushing for a quick decision, as it will need time to arrange an additional home Test for England in 2027 if the WTC final is taken elsewhere. The ICC has concerns about taking the WTC final to India however, chiefly the prospect of poor ticket sales should India fail to qualify. Next month’s final at Lord’s is sold out for the first four days, while the 2023 final at the Oval was also sold out despite England not being involved.”
Challenges Facing India’s Bid
The ICC worries that if India doesn’t qualify, Indian fans might lose interest. India’s summer monsoon season could clash with the WTC schedule. Time zones also affect broadcast timings in key markets. India brings in major broadcasting money, but England guarantees steady attendance. A successful WTC final in India could open doors for other nations to host—Australia, South Africa, even UAE. A rotating host with a neutral backup venue might be the compromise ICC needs. Hosting the WTC final here could mean record revenues. But If the ICC is serious about growth, and representation—it should let India host the 2027 WTC Final.
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