Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri backs Lord’s Cricket Ground to host the WTC Finals ahead of Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, highlighting that the home of cricket is a key venue to attract global crowds.
The World Test Championship final has become a prestigious tournament finale, with three finals hosted in England. Countries like India and Australia submitted proposals to host the finals in Ahmedabad and Melbourne, but the ICC rejected these and retained England as the host for the upcoming cycles.
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Shastri Favors Lord’s for Global Appeal
Speaking to Wisden, Ravi Shastri favored Lord’s as the ideal venue to host the grand finale, believing it would attract a global crowd. Once it gains more popularity, he feels other countries like India and Australia can host the finals.
“I think to start off initially, it’s good if it’s here (Lord’s) actually. Once it gets the popularity and eyebrows it deserves, then it can start shifting. But I think the MCG can be a great place for a World Test Championship Final.”
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Crowd Factor: Why Lord’s Capacity Matters
He also noted that stadium capacity plays a big role in global popularity. Lord’s doesn’t have the large capacity of the Ahmedabad Stadium, but he feels Lord’s can be filled for all five days.
“Ahmedabad can be a great place for the WTC Final. The places where you can draw a crowd. Because Lord’s is not a 100,000-seater stadium. So, irrespective of which team is playing, you know you will get a good crowd,” Shastri said.
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Australia captain Pat Cummins proposed a venue model where the defending champions host the finals, and this idea was debated for a few months.
The home of cricket recently hosted the WTC Finals 2025, where South Africa made history by defeating Australia by 5 wickets. It was a packed crowd for all four days and remains a high-profile venue for hosting the WTC Finals, ahead of Southampton, which hosted the inaugural final between India and New Zealand, and the Oval Stadium, which hosted the second final between India and Australia.
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