Photo Credit: Twitter Profile Photo of @JayShah
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has promised a ’15-day gap’ between the IPL and the World Test Championship (WTC) finals in the future. The last two WTC finals were held shortly after the IPL, with India facing criticism for the tight schedule.
India, led by Virat Kohli, lost the 2021 WTC final to New Zealand by eight wickets in Southampton, and Rohit Sharma’s team lost the 2023 final to Australia by 209 runs at The Oval in London. The 2023 WTC final began on June 7, just a week after the IPL 2023 final concluded on May 30.
Shah noted that Team India has consistently arrived at the finals on schedule regardless of the IPL timetable and praised them for reaching the finals on both occasions. He said, “The team didn’t reach late for previous WTC finals. We had no choice. From now on, we will be having a 15-day gap between the end of IPL and the WTC final. But we should also appreciate the fact that we have qualified for the final twice.”
Before the 2021 WTC final, the IPL was halted due to Covid-19, allowing the Indian team time to reach the UK and prepare, though they still lost to New Zealand. Last year’s narrow gap between the IPL and the WTC final affected India’s preparation, leading to a loss against Australia.
Concerns have been raised about the WTC finals being held exclusively in England, with the 2025 final also expected there. Currently, India and Australia are the top contenders for next year’s final.
