After T20 World Cup triumph, Gautam Gambhir reveals his next big goal for Team India
India Today
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has set his sights on qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2027 after guiding his team to back-to-back ICC white-ball triumphs.
After guiding India to victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, head coach Gautam Gambhir has already set his sights on the next major goal — leading the team to the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–2027. Gambhir described Test cricket as a format that is “extremely close to his heart”.
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs on Sunday to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. The victory was historic, as it made India the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to secure back-to-back titles following their 2024 triumph, and the first side to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024 and 2026).
Over the past two years, India have captured three ICC white-ball titles — the 2024 T20 World Cup, 2025 Champions Trophy, and the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, the team is still chasing its maiden title in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
India previously lost to New Zealand in the inaugural WTC final, reached the summit clash in the 2021–2023 cycle but were defeated by Australia, and failed to qualify for the final in the 2023–2025 edition.
Looking ahead, Gambhir, said that guiding India to the WTC final is now his primary objective. He acknowledged that red-ball cricket presents unique challenges, particularly during a transitional phase, but stressed that the team will continue to support young players as they aim to qualify for the final.
“Test cricket is very close to my heart. That one format is extremely, extremely close. And I hope that first we can qualify for the World Test Championship final. That’s my next target. And we still have, what, nine Test matches to go? The focus will remain there because I feel that we’ve gone through a transition in red-ball cricket, and it is always more difficult compared to white-ball cricket,” Gambhir told ANI.
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India head coach Gautam Gambhir has set his sights on qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2027 after guiding his team to back-to-back ICC white-ball triumphs.
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