Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has said that Test cricket is very close to his heart after the victory of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The former Indian opener also said that his next goal is to help the national cricket team qualify for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) 2027 final.
Team India recently defeated New Zealand to defend their T20 World Cup title on home soil. The Men in Blue have won three ICC white-ball trophies in the last two years. However, they are still desperately searching for their first ICC Championship win in the traditional five-day format of the game.
This is my next goal – Gautam Gambhir reveals future plans
During a recent appearance on ANI podcast, Gautam Gambhir talked about his future goals. The great opening batsman admitted that the team is going through a difficult period of change at the moment. He said that securing a place in the World Test Championship final is his priority.
Gambhir said, “Test cricket is very close to my heart. This is a format very, very close. And I hope that first of all we can qualify for the World Test Championship final. That is my next target.”
“And we’ve still got, what, nine Test matches to play? And the focus is going to be there because I think yes, we’ve gone through a transition period in red-ball cricket, and it’s always tougher than white-ball cricket.”
“And these are the young boys who we will continue to support in red-ball cricket because Test cricket is never easy. So the next target is that hopefully we can qualify for the World Test Championship,” Gambhir said.
There are mostly boys in that dressing room – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir stressed that most of the players in the Indian dressing room respect Test cricket. The former batsman said that Test matches provide a platform to create a lasting legacy.
“Yes, 100%. And I think most of the boys in that dressing room are there. They really want to do well in Test cricket. Because that’s where legacies are made. That’s where you feel satisfied coming back. This is the only format that gives you a chance to score centuries, double centuries and triple centuries.”
Gambhir said, “No other format gives you that opportunity. And when you go through those five days of hard work and when you get the results, there is no greater satisfaction than getting a Test win, whether it is a T20 World Cup final, whether it is a 50-over game. Test cricket gives you ultimate happiness.”
#Watch | “…Test cricket is very close to my heart. I hope first of all we can qualify for the World Test Championship final. That’s my next target and we still have nine Test matches and the focus will be on… The boys really want to do well in Test cricket, that… pic.twitter.com/5rLT8I37VA
– ANI (@ANI) 11 March 2026
India will face a tough road in WTC 2025-27 under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir.
India are currently in a difficult position in the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle under head coach Gautam Gambhir. During his tenure, the team has not yet got success in Tests and their chances of reaching the finals depend on the results of the upcoming series.
India are ranked sixth in the WTC 2025-27 points table with 48.15 PCT%, giving them very little margin for error. To remain in the running for the finals, the team will have to perform strongly in the remaining matches of the cycle.
India still have nine Tests left in the WTC cycle, and they will need to win at least seven of them to secure a place in the top two. They will play two Tests in Sri Lanka, two in New Zealand later this year and a five-match home series against Australia in the first quarter of 2027.
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