India has been one of the best sides in Test cricket, as they have played both the World Test Championship finals after qualifying for both of them being placed as the best side leading the WTC points table.
This time around as well, India is leading the WTC points table for 2023-2025 and has three series left in the longest format of the game before they can find themselves a spot in the third consecutive WTC final. With India being the only constant in both finals, they have first lost to New Zealand and next to the Aussies, so there are some flaws in the Indian side, as the arguably best Test side in the world has faced repetitive setbacks in consecutive ICC World Test Championships.
India could not secure the title under one of India’s greatest players in the format, Rahul Dravid; however, Gambhir will lead India for the first time as a coach if India makes it to the finals. Alongside Gambhir’s suggestion, the BCCI has given their players a firm resolute that their participation in domestic tests is a must to be included for the final international level.
The BCCI has announced that every player who plays for India in the highest format of the game will have to play in either every or at least some of the matches in the Duleep Trophy. This has been a recent problem: national team players often refrain from participating in first-class or List A cricket at the domestic level.
Players like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and others do not prefer to play cricket for their state teams. India faced a major setback with their young opening batsman, Gill, as he struggled in the longest format and was a great disappointment for India in both the WTC finals.
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Since the World Test Championship finals are being played at the most reputed grounds in Europe, this time they are likely to be held at the iconic Lord’s Stadium.India has never lifted an ICC trophy at Lord’s since their first-ever trophy in the 1983 World Cup, where India led by Kapil Dev crushed the mighty Windies to secure their first-ever victory in World Cups and also at Lord’s.
This might also be Rohit Sharma’s showdown in the longest format of the game, and so for the veteran Kohli as well. With the two legends parting ways with the longest format, this might be their last chance to secure a good win. However, the BCCI has relieved the three veterans, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah. They have been given the liberty to choose whether they want to participate in the domestic games, unlike others who have to play domestic games to surely feature for India at the highest level.
Indian young players who are likely to make it to the WTC finals in 2025, Jaiswal and Pant, will be India’s preferred choices for the same. Led by skipper Sharma, as said by Jay Shah, and having the likes of Virat Kohli, India might give chances to a few new talents like Shreyas Iyer or recall players Pandya and KL Rahul to replace greats like Pujara and Rahane who are set to retire from the format.
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Also, with not many chances left for Ravi Ashwin to feature for India under Gambhir, he might look to Jadeja, Axar, and probably Washington Sundar as their key all-rounders in the competition. The Duleep Trophy will play a vital role in the team selection for Gambhir’s two recent test outings against Bangladesh and New Zealand, which are going to be home series’ for the Men in Blue.