In the past, test cricket was the only face of cricket that engaged a large number of people from around the world. However, things changed after 2000, when fans’ interest went towards shorter formats of cricket. To save the popularity of test cricket, ICC decided to start the test tournament of Test-playing nations. One of the main reasons for this proposal was to save the brand of Test cricket.
The first-ever World Test Championship was played from 2019 to 2021, and New Zealand was the winner of the mace. Ashes Series 2019 was the first ever test series played under the shadow of ICC Test Championship.
India and Australia will compete for the second final of the WTC 2021 to 2023.
So, We can see there is a two year cycle for each World Test Championship. Then the finalist is decided based on the WTC points table. Each team mostly plays five or six Test series on home and away venues.
So, WTC provides all top test-playing nations a chance to compete hard for the final spot or final of WTC. Hence, WTC has a very busy schedule series, and every team tries to play their best to get a spot in the final.
Having a World Test Championship has proven to be a highly successful idea. It gave new meaning to the shrinking format of Test cricket.
Now, we will look at the World Test Championship winners list with the captain.
ICC WTC Winners & Runners List With Captain
Kane Williamson from New Zealand was the first captain to win the first ever World Test Championship from 2019 to 2023. While Virat Kohli leads the Indian team in the final.
| Season | Winner | Result | Captain | Runner Up | Final Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-23 | _ | _ | _ | _ | Oval |
| 2019-21 | New Zealand | 08 Wickets | Kane Willamson & Virat Kohli | India | Southampton |
World Test Championship Winners List Year Wise
Now, we will look at the year’s Wise list of Winners and Runners of the World Test Championship.
WTC Winner 2021-23
India and Australia will be playing the final of WTC 2023 at the Oval on June 7. Both teams look well, and solid competition is expected for this match.
Read More: India vs Australia Squad in WTC Final
WTC Winner 2019-21
India and New Zealand were the finalist teams of the First ever World Test Championship. The final match was played at Southhampton from June 18 to 23. New Zealand beat India by 08 wickets and won prize money of 1.6m USD allocated for WTC Winner.
India batted first and was all out on 217 runs total in first innings. Kyle Jameson was the outstanding bowler from New Zealand who took 05 wickets in the innings. He grabbed 05 wickets for just 31 runs to dent the Indian batting lineup.
In reply, New Zealand started well in their first innings and was all out on 249 runs. Kane Williamson tried his best to score a fifty but was given out on 49 runs. Ishant Sharma and Muhammad Shami were the masters of the Indian bowling lineup. Ishant took 03, while Shami took 04 wickets.
Read More: Most Runs in WTC 2023
In the second innings, India bowled out for 170 runs. This time Tim Southee bowled excellent line and length bowling to tackle India. Hence, the Indian team set 139 runs target to win the match.
So, New Zealand went for the chase with an outstanding start. Kane Williamson scored an important fifty to win the World Test Championship 2019-23 final.
Kayle Jamieson was announced as the player of the match due to his excellent bowling effort.
FAQ’s
India has not won any title in World Test Championship. They were the finalist of WTC 2021 against New Zealand and lost the match by 08 wickets.
Total 9 Teams are participating in ICC WTC 2021-23. Australia, India, England, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh, and New Zealand were the part of world test championship.
