Ravi Shastri Wants Bigger Venues Like MCG, NaMo Stadium to Host WTC Final

In addition to advocating for a change in the WTC final venue, Ravi Shastri also pushed for a change in the ICC's revenue distribution model.

Ravi Shastri Wants Bigger Venues Like MCG, NaMo Stadium to Host WTC Final

Ravi Shastri backed Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground to host the WTC final in the future. (via Times of India)

Former Indian cricketer-turned commentator Ravi Shastri endorsed massive venues like the Narendra Modi Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground as ideal hosts for the WTC final in the future. He however, did acknowledge the clout of English stadiums, for the moment.

The ICC World Test Championship, which started in 2019, has given a much-needed boost to Test cricket around the world. The WTC final, held at the end of a cycle lasting two years, has quickly become one of the biggest fixtures in the cricketing calendar. Across the three seasons, New Zealand won the inaugural WTC title in 2021, followed by Australia in 2023, and most recently, South Africa in 2025.

While a WTC cycle comprises of bilateral red-ball series featuring all ten Test-playing nations, its final has exclusively been hosted by England. The Rose Bowl in Southampton hosted the final in 2021, followed by The Oval in 2023, and most recently, Lord’s in 2025. In fact, the England and Wales Cricket Board is slated to host the next three WTC finals through 2031, with the 2027 edition once again returning to the Lord’s.

Several other countries, including India and Australia have expressed interest in hosting the WTC final, but have been unsuccessful. England’s ability to attract crowds even for the three neutral WTC finals, has strengthened its case. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has even pointed to the pleasant weather conditions in the country during June-July, as reason behind its choice of England as a host.

Nonetheless, ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri, who managed the team during the first WTC cycle from 2019 to 2021, felt the need for a change in the competition’s venue in the future. The 63-year-old, while underlining the fact that the Lord’s remain the most fitting venue for now, suggested that the final could be shifted to another venue in the next few years, once the competition gains much popularity and fanfare around the world. He told in a Wisden Cricket Podcast:

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. I think the MCG and Ahmedabad can be a great place for the final.

While making suggestions for future venues, Ravi Shastri opined that the Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, which is the largest cricketing venue in the world in terms of its seating capacity of 132,000 fans, could host the WTC final, alongside the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. He added that these two venues have a larger capacity to draw and hold crowds, unlike the Lord’s Cricket Ground, which has a seating capacity of only 31,100 spectators:

Basically, 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.

Apart from Ravi Shastri, Australian skipper Pat Cummins had also urged the ICC to consider a rotating host system for the WTC final. Following his team’s recent WTC final loss to South Africa, Cummins even proposed that the defending champions should earn the right to host the final.

Ravi Shastri Surprisingly Backs Shubman Gill to Continue as India’s Test Captain for the Next Three Years

Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri surprisingly urged the BCCI to let Shubman Gill continue as Test captain for the next three years. He expressed confidence in Gill’s leadership abilities, believing he will excel regardless of India’s performance in the ongoing Test tour of England.

Ravi Shastri on Shubman Gill captain
Ravi Shastri backed Shubman Gill continue as India’s Test captain for the next three years. (via Crictracker)

Shubman Gill was appointed India’s red-ball skipper last month following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Tests. Despite losing his debut match as captain against England at Headingley, Shubman Gill earned high praise from Ravi Shastri. The former coach lauded the 25-year-old for his maturity, both on and off the field, and backed him to continue as captain for the next three years, regardless of immediate results:

The way he handles the media, the way he talks at press conferences, at tosses, he’s matured a lot. Let him be there for three years. Don’t chop and change irrespective of what happens in the series.

Furthermore, Shastri also stated that Shubman Gill possesses all the elements necessary to be one of the greats of the sport. He added the only way the young captain can succeed is by learning with exposure and adapting to the conditions.