Rahul Dravid backs India's WTC final push despite mid-table battle
Synopsis
Rahul Dravid isn't writing India off — but he isn't sugarcoating it either. With India fifth in the WTC standings and needing to win eight of nine remaining Tests, the former coach sees a squad good enough to qualify but facing a youth-versus-experience reckoning in New Zealand and a fired-up Australia side desperate for a first win on Indian soil.
Key Takeaways
Rahul Dravid expressed cautious optimism about India qualifying for the WTC final at The Oval in June 2026 .
India are currently fifth in WTC standings with a PCT of 53.33 , behind Australia (80), South Africa (75), New Zealand (72.22), and Bangladesh (55.56).
India needed to win 8 of their last 9 Tests to stay in contention; they have won the first in Galle and are chasing a second in Colombo .
Dravid flagged the absence of Virat Kohli , Rohit Sharma , Ajinkya Rahane , and Cheteshwar Pujara as a key experience gap for the New Zealand tour.
Away series in New Zealand and home series against Australia are the defining assignments remaining in India's WTC campaign.
Former India coach Rahul Dravid has expressed cautious optimism about the Shubman Gill-led side's prospects of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June 2026 at The Oval, even as India find themselves fifth in the standings with a tough road ahead. Speaking to JioStar, Dravid acknowledged the team's mid-table position but stopped well short of writing them off.
Dravid's Assessment
'I'm hoping they do. It'll be a great run if India can qualify for the WTC final from here. They've fallen behind a little bit, but the kind of quality that the Indian team has, you're not going to write them off at any stage,' Dravid said. The former head coach, who guided India to the 2023 WTC final, described the qualification challenge as steep but not insurmountable given the squad's depth.
India's Current WTC Standing
India currently sit fifth in the WTC standings with a PCT of 53.33, trailing Bangladesh (55.56 PCT), who drew 1-1 in Australia. The top three — Australia (80 PCT), South Africa (75 PCT), and New Zealand (72.22 PCT) — are comfortably ahead. India needed to win eight of their last nine Tests to stay in serious contention when they arrived in Sri Lanka. A win in Galle has been secured; a second Test is underway in Colombo. Victory there would lift India to fourth, opening the door to a top-three push.
The Challenge of New Zealand and Australia
After Sri Lanka, India face back-to-back high-stakes assignments: an away series in New Zealand and a home series against Australia. Dravid flagged both as formidable tests. 'New Zealand away, always a challenge. Tough team, New Zealand, to play away from home,' he noted. On the Australia series, he added: 'A lot of their players will be very keen to do well in India. That's a generation of truly great Australian players, a great Australian team that has not won in India. So they'll be keen to do that.'
Experience Gap a Key Concern
Dravid also highlighted a significant experience deficit heading into the New Zealand leg. Several senior players who toured there in early 2020 — including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and Cheteshwar Pujara — are no longer part of the current squad. 'A lot of the young Indian boys have not played in those conditions, so that's going to be a big challenge. We're missing the experience of Virat and Rohit, Ajinkya Rahane and Pujara, these kinds of guys who've probably been there the last time India went,' Dravid said. The fitness of the core playing group, he stressed, will be equally critical over the months ahead.
What India Need Next
A clean sweep in Colombo would be the ideal launchpad, but the real test comes on the road. If India can navigate New Zealand and win at home against Australia, a WTC final berth becomes a realistic target. The two-time WTC finalists have the quality, as Dravid noted — the question is whether the young squad can deliver in unfamiliar conditions without its most experienced names.
Point of View
By his own admission, light on red-ball experience in those conditions. The players who know what a Wellington or Dunedin pitch demands — Kohli, Rohit, Rahane, Pujara — are gone. Winning eight of nine Tests is an ask that would have tested that generation; asking a younger group to do it across three different countries and conditions is a different proposition entirely. India's WTC campaign will ultimately be decided not by quality on paper but by whether Gill's side can produce results in environments where India have historically struggled without their senior anchors.
NationPress
25 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Rahul Dravid say about India's WTC final chances?
Dravid said he hopes India can qualify, calling it 'a great run if India can qualify for the WTC final from here.' He acknowledged India have 'fallen behind a little bit' but said he would not write off a team of their quality at any stage.
Where do India stand in the WTC 2023-25 cycle standings?
India are currently fifth with a PCT of 53.33, behind Australia (80 PCT), South Africa (75 PCT), New Zealand (72.22 PCT), and Bangladesh (55.56 PCT). A win in Colombo would move them to fourth.
What matches does India still need to play in the WTC cycle?
After the ongoing series in Sri Lanka, India face an away series in New Zealand and a home series against Australia. They needed to win eight of their last nine Tests to stay in firm contention for the final.
Why did Dravid flag the New Zealand tour as a big challenge?
Dravid noted that many of the current Indian players have not played red-ball cricket in New Zealand before. Key experienced players from India's last tour there in early 2020 — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and Cheteshwar Pujara — are no longer in the squad.
Where will the WTC 2026 final be held?
The WTC final is scheduled for June 2026 at The Oval in London. India, as two-time WTC finalists, are aiming to qualify for the summit clash but currently sit outside the top two in the standings.
