After guiding India to victory in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, head coach Gautam Gambhir has already set his sights on the next major goal – leading the team to the finals of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-2027. Gambhir described Test cricket as a format that is “extremely close to his heart”.
India beat New Zealand by 96 runs on Sunday to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. The win was historic as it made India the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first team to secure back-to-back titles after the 2024 triumph and the first team to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024 and 2026).
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In the last two years, India has captured three ICC White Ball Titles — T20 World Cup 2024, Champions Trophy 2025and the T20 World Cup 2026. However, the team is still aiming for its maiden ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title.
India had previously lost to New Zealand in the inaugural WTC final, reaching the summit clash in the 2021–2023 cycle, but were defeated by Australia and failed to qualify for the finals in the 2023–25 edition.
Looking ahead, Gambhir said his main focus now is to lead India to the WTC final. He acknowledged that red-ball cricket presents unique challenges, especially during the transition phase, but stressed that the team will continue to support young players who want to qualify for the finals.
“Test cricket is very close to my heart. That one format is extremely, extremely close. And I hope we can qualify for the World Test Championship final first. That’s my next goal. And we still have nine Test matches to go? The focus will remain there because I feel we’ve gone through a transition in red-ball cricket and it’s always more difficult than white-ball cricket.”
“And there are these young guys that we will continue to support in red-ball cricket because Test cricket is never easy. So the next goal is to hopefully qualify for the Test World Cup,” he added.
When asked if he leans more towards the traditional format, Gambhir admitted that he has deep respect for Test cricket. He noted that many players in the Indian dressing room share the same passion as the longest format is where legacies are built and where players have the opportunity to make a truly meaningful contribution.
Gambhir also pointed out that the satisfaction of winning a Test match – after five days of non-stop effort – remains elusive compared to the limited-overs formats.
How have India fared in Tests under Gambhir?
“Yeah, 100 per cent. And I think most of the guys in that dressing room are. They really want to do well in Test cricket because that’s where legacies are built. That’s where you feel satisfied when you come back. It’s the only format that gives you the opportunity to score a hundred, a double hundred and even a triple hundred. No other format gives you that opportunity and when you go through the hard work, there’s no greater satisfaction. securing a Test win, whether it’s a World Cup final T20 or a game of 50-over Test cricket, it brings you maximum happiness,” said Gambhir.
While Gambhir celebrated success in limited-overs cricket, leading India to back-to-back ICC titles with victories in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and 2026 T20 World Cup, the team looked to replicate the same success in Test cricket.
Under his tenure, India failed to qualify for the finals of the ICC World Test Championship in 2025 and he also suffered two home Test series defeats during the year against New Zealand and South Africa. So the head coach could find himself on a very tightrope if India fail to qualify for the WTC finals for the second time in a row.
India are currently sixth in the WTC points table with four wins from nine matches and a run percentage of 48.15. Three series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia remain to decide their fate.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
11 March 2026 19:56 IST
