World Test Championship

The World Test Championship (WTC) is a prestigious cricket tournament introduced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to elevate the status of Test cricket, the pinnacle of the cricketing world. Established in 2019, the WTC has brought a new dimension to Test cricket, adding a competitive edge and providing a clear pathway to the coveted title of world Test champions.

World Test Championship Format

The WTC includes the top nine Test-playing nations: Australia, India, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and Bangladesh. The WTC runs in a two-year cycle (e.g., 2023–2025 is the third cycle). Each team plays six series (three at home and three away) against opponents. Not all teams play each other; the series are pre-selected based on scheduling and rivalries. Each series can consist of 2 to 5 Test matches, depending on mutual agreement between the competing teams.

WTC Fo Points System

Teams earn points based on match outcomes (win, draw, tie, or loss). The winner gets 12 points, while for a draw, both teams earn 4 points each. In case of a tie, both teams share 6 points each. However, teams can lose points for slow over-rates or other breaches of ICC regulations. The maximum points for a series are capped at 120 points (equivalent to winning all matches in a 5-Test series).

• In a 2-match series, a win is worth 24 points (12 points per match).
• In a 3-match series, a win is worth 16 points per match.
• This scaling ensures equal weight across series of different lengths.

WTC 2025-27

With the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle ending in South Africa beating Australia for the Test mace, the new cycle will begin on June 17 with the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Test series. India Cricket Team will begin their WTC 2025-27 cycle under a new Test captain, Shubman Gill, in England. Each team will play three series at home and as many series away for the WTC Final spot in 2027.

WTC 2025-27 full schedule

WTC Points Table

WTC 2023-25

The current WTC cycle, spanning from 2023 to 2025, features nine top-ranked Test nations competing over two years. Each team plays six bilateral Test series, three home and three away, with points awarded for wins, draws, and losses. The top two teams in the points table will contest the grand finale, scheduled for the summer of 2025 in England.

Past WTC Winners