India’s hopes of hosting the 2027 World Test Championship (WTC) final have been dashed by the ICC. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had officially expressed interest in hosting the final, but the governing body of world cricket has disappointed Shubman Gill and his team’s board. Not only the 2027 final—England will host the finals for the next three cycles.
The finals of the first three editions of the WTC were also held in England. At the recent ICC Executive Committee meeting held in Singapore this week, it was officially decided that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will host the finals in 2027, 2029, and 2031. After the most recent final at Lord’s last month, questions arose about whether the next WTC final might be held outside England. At that time, several media outlets reported that the BCCI wanted to host the 2027 final. However, the ICC has crushed those hopes.
The inaugural WTC final in 2021 was held at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. The finals of the following two editions were played at Lord’s. The 2027, 2029, and 2031 finals will also take place at venues in England, though the ECB has yet to confirm the exact locations.
The ICC stated that its continued trust in England stems from the country’s successful hosting of previous finals. The ECB has expressed its satisfaction at being awarded the next three showpiece events. However, the BCCI has yet to make any official comment on the matter.
