Shubman Gill remains hopeful of India reaching the WTC final, but the team must win at least six of their remaining seven Tests.
The draw in the second Test saw India miss out on a chance to improve their position in the ICC World Test Championship standings.
Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc has become the leading wicket-taker in ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history, surpassing teammates Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
Bangladesh have moved above India to fourth position in the ICC World Test Championship standings after securing a historic nine-wicket victory against Australia in the first Test in Darwin.
India secured a comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test, improving their World Test Championship points percentage. However, despite the win, their path to the WTC final has become significantly more challenging, requiring them to win almost all their remaining matches due to a tightly packed table and other teams' results.
Former head coach Rahul Dravid believes India have 'fallen behind' in the World Test Championship final qualification race, highlighting the upcoming New Zealand series as a significant challenge for the young team.
Two-time finalists India are placed fifth and face a challenging path to secure a top-two finish.
Shubman Gill, India's Test captain, expresses comfort with his leadership role and highlights the team's progress. He acknowledges the challenge of qualifying for the World Test Championship final, requiring significant wins in upcoming matches. Gill also discusses the honour of leading India in its 600th Test and shares insights on playing conditions in Sri Lanka.
Aakash Chopra believes India faces a challenging path to the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 final, even if they register a 2-0 series sweep in Sri Lanka.
The Oval in London has been confirmed as the venue for the 2027 ICC World Test Championship Final, scheduled from June 9-13. This marks the second time The Oval will host the final, having previously done so in 2023. Nine teams are currently competing in the ongoing WTC cycle, with Australia leading the standings, followed by South Africa and New Zealand, as the race intensifies with crucial upcoming series.
England's aspirations for a maiden World Test Championship final appearance have been significantly impacted after they were docked 12 points due to a slow over-rate during their recent defeat to New Zealand at The Oval. The penalty, alongside a 50% match fee fine, has caused their points percentage to drop, making their path to the final more challenging.
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has become the country's highest run-scorer in ICC World Test Championship history, surpassing Shubman Gill, and also overtook MS Dhoni as India's highest run-scorer as a designated wicketkeeper in away or neutral Tests.
Shubman Gill called India's drawn second Test against Sri Lanka frustrating but praised his players' effort, cleared Mohammad Siraj of injury concerns and backed India's WTC qualification hopes.
A world-class Test team can't afford to have a bowling attack that allows batters to feel comfortable. To be the world's best Test team, all departments of the game should be strong and striking.
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has issued a stern warning to the Indian team ahead of their crucial Test series against Sri Lanka.
The Indian cricket team has fallen to sixth place in the latest World Test Championship (WTC) rankings after Bangladesh's series win against Pakistan.
Sri Lanka's remarkable lower-order resistance helped deny India a series sweep, with the tailenders facing more deliveries than the team's openers across the series.
India have rested Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya from the Ireland and England tours as selectors prioritise the pacer's role in the World Test Championship and Pandya's importance to India's ODI World Cup plans.
India is poised to secure its first overseas Test series victory in three years as they face Sri Lanka in the second and final match, with skipper Shubman Gill and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal under pressure to deliver substantial knocks.
Former Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane believes India's recent Test struggles stem from the departure of senior players, emphasising the need for a core of seven to eight experienced cricketers in the longer format.
'There's a lot of pressure on him, and there's a lot of pressure on this series as well, because it's crucial for India's chances in the WTC.'
Sri Lanka coach Gary Kirsten praised Sonal Dinusha's twin centuries and pressure-handling ability, while calling India's Dhruv Jurel a world-class player with superb technique and short-ball skills.
Shubman Gill hailed Sri Lanka's gritty resistance after Sonal Dinusha's second century forced India to settle for a draw in the second Test.
India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule confirmed that Kuldeep Yadav's absence from bowling in the second innings of the warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI was a precautionary measure to assess his body after a significant workload, allaying fitness concerns.
Australia is set to host Bangladesh in a two-match Test series in the country's tropical north, marking the first time since 2003.
India's premier fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, has received clearance from the BCCI's Centre of Excellence to participate in the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka. Bumrah had been recovering from an impact injury sustained during the recent ODI series against England, which forced him to miss the third ODI. His return is crucial for India's World Test Championship aspirations.
As India prepares for their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka starting August 15, the team management faces critical decisions regarding their playing XI to bolster their World Test Championship 2027 final aspirations.
Sri Lanka's head coach Gary Kirsten expressed satisfaction with his team's developing approach to Test cricket despite a loss to India. He highlighted the team's fight and resilience, particularly after a poor start in their first innings, and praised young batter Sonal Dinusha. Kirsten also provided an update on key player injuries ahead of the next Test.
Gambhir strongly advocates three-Test series, arguing they give teams that lose the opening match a genuine opportunity to recover, compete harder and still win the series.
Young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar's magnificent 10-wicket match haul and Devdutt Padikkal's century spearheaded India's dominant 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test, with skipper Shubman Gill praising Suthar's long-term potential for Indian cricket.
Sri Lanka have gone more than a decade since their last Test match win against India, having last beaten them in the Galle Test in 2015.
Pakistan were ruled to be eight overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald discusses how the Indian Premier League (IPL) can be integrated into the national team's demanding international schedule, emphasising the need for workload management, especially for fast bowlers. He highlights the IPL's benefits for player development while acknowledging the challenges of a packed calendar including major Test series and ICC events.
Former India spinner Murali Kartik has emphasised the need for consistency and a clearly defined role for Kuldeep Yadav in the Test side, especially as Ravindra Jadeja approaches the end of his career. Kartik believes Kuldeep, despite being a match-winner, has not received the sustained backing needed to flourish in Test cricket under previous regimes.
India's two-Test series against hosts Sri Lanka will be played in Galle and Colombo from August 15 to 27.
Ajinkya Rahane's retirement prompts a reflection on his remarkable career, marked by India's historic Gabba triumph, his quiet leadership, and a lingering question: was he an under-achiever or simply under-appreciated in the Indian cricketing ecosystem?
Jasprit Bumrah has started practicing with the red ball as he gears up for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka next month.
Indian selection committee has advised Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill to prioritise red-ball and 50-over cricket until the 2027 ODI World Cup to manage his workload and ensure freshness for major ICC assignments, despite his strong IPL performance.
India's assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate conceded that too many players have batted at number three in Test matches after Cheteshwar Pujara's retirement and it was time that either Sai Sudharsan or Devdutt Padikkal is given a long rope at the key batting position.
Smriti Mandhana is the only Indian named in TIME's 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 list, joining global icons such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James after another record-breaking year in cricket.
