Lord’s Cricket Ground is set to lose nearly around ₹45 crore in revenue during the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) Final due to India’s absence from the match. Initially, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) had set premium ticket prices, expecting India to qualify, but with Rohit Sharma’s team failing to reach the final, the prices had to be reduced. To ensure a fuller stadium, the MCC opted to lower ticket rates, and members who had already purchased tickets at higher prices were refunded the difference.
Defending champions Australia will now face South Africa in the WTC Final, which begins on June 11 at Lord’s. India, who had played the last two WTC Finals, were the favorites to qualify again but failed to do so after a shocking 3-0 series loss to New Zealand and a 3-1 defeat in Australia. These results ended their hopes of making it to the final for the third time in a row.
How did India fail to qualify for WTC Finals?
At the start of their WTC campaign, India was leading the table and needed to win at least five of their ten scheduled Tests to qualify. With home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, they were expected to advance easily.
However, unexpected defeats shattered their chances, leading to significant financial consequences for Lord’s, which had banked on India’s massive fan following to boost ticket sales.
In addition to the WTC 2025 final, Lord’s will host the third Test of the India-England series in July. The match will be played from July 10 to 14.
