As Team India’s hunt for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final comes to an end, the focus for Gautam Gambhir and co. will shift to the upcoming WTC 2025-27 cycle. India will play Test series against six different opponents in this period, starting off with arguably their hardest assignment of the whole cycle – a five-Test tour of England in June 2025. Having reached the final of the previous two cycles but not this one, Gambhir will be hoping he can take India to Test success if he carries on as coach till then.
India will start off the cycle with a five-match Test series against England away from home. With the margins between teams becoming closer, this series would hold huge importance in setting the tone for India.
India have two further WTC assignments in 2025, both at home. In October, India will host the West Indies for two Test matches, while in December, it will be South Africa who tour India.
In 2026, India will play only four Test matches – both in the latter half of the year. India will tour Sri Lanka for two Tests in August 2026, while another two-Test tour will take place between October and December 2026, as India travel to New Zealand.
India’s WTC 2025-27 cycle will end similarly to its current one, with a five-match Test series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, this time it is Australia who will visit India.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir’s contract with Team India runs till 2027, and it will be interesting to see whether he will still be at the helm come the WTC 2027 final. The cycle could also signal the end of some glittering Test careers, with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja all at the latter stages.
India’s WTC 2025-27 cycle schedule:
India vs England (away) – 5 Tests – June-August 2025
India vs West Indies (home) – 2 Tests – October 2025
India vs South Africa (home) – 2 Tests – December 2025
India vs Sri Lanka (away) – 2 Tests – August 2026
India vs New Zealand (away) – 2 Tests – October-December 2026
India vs Australia (home) – 5 Tests – January-February 2027
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