The Indian Test team, now under the full-time coaching of Gautam Gambhir, has suffered another setback as they slipped to 6th position in the World Test Championship (WTC) rankings. This demotion follows New Zealand's dominant victory against the West Indies, which propelled the Kiwis to third place in the standings.
India's current WTC cycle has been a mixed bag. After a home series defeat against South Africa, the team now holds a win-loss percentage of 48.15. This places them behind Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in the WTC table. Australia currently leads the standings with a perfect 100 percentage points, followed by South Africa with 75. Sri Lanka holds third position with 66.67%, while Pakistan is in fourth with 50%. New Zealand now also have 66.67 percentage points.
The defeat against South Africa at home has significantly impacted India's chances of qualifying for the WTC final. To add to the concern, there is a possibility of India slipping further down to seventh place if England manages to stage a comeback against Australia in the ongoing Ashes series. With Australia leading the series 2-0, the pressure is on England to perform in the remaining matches.
Gautam Gambhir, who took over as the head coach of the Indian team in July 2024, faces a challenging situation. While his record in white-ball cricket is impressive, his Test performance has been under scrutiny. In the 18 Test matches that India has played under Gambhir, they have won only 7 and lost 9, resulting in a win percentage of 38.89.
Gambhir's coaching journey began with success in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he guided the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title in 2024. He also served as a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for two years, leading them to the playoffs in both seasons. His initial assignment as the head coach of the Indian team was the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where India emerged victorious.
Despite the recent setback in the WTC rankings, Gambhir's focus will be on preparing the team for their next red-ball assignment against Sri Lanka in August 2026. Following the series against Sri Lanka, India is scheduled to tour New Zealand for a two-match series in October-November 2026. These upcoming series will be crucial for India to improve their position in the WTC standings and keep their hopes of qualifying for the final alive. The WTC final is scheduled to be held at Lord's Cricket Ground in London between June 11th and 15th, 2027.
The WTC points system awards 12 points for a win, 6 for a tie, and 4 for a draw. Teams are ranked based on the percentage of points won.
