India's failure to qualify for the WTC 2025 Final will cost Lord's four million pounds: Report

The Lord's in London is scheduled to host the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final from June 11–15. Defending champions Australia will play WTC 2023-25 table toppers South Africa in the WTC 2025 final.

For the first time ever, the WTC final will be held at London's famous stadium, but the "Home of Cricket" is expected to lose around four million pounds in revenue as a result of India's failure to qualify for the summit match.

Team India, captained by Rohit Sharma, was the favorite to advance to the third consecutive WTC Final, but six losses in the final eight games eliminated them from contention. The Pat Cummins-led team defeated New Zealand 3-1 in the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy after India's devastating 0–3 loss in the home series.

Lord’s is set for a 4-million-pound loss in ticket sales after India fails to qualify for the WTC final

The absence of India has severely reduced the financial windfall anticipated by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in the five-day Test match between Australia and South Africa in June, highlighting the financial power of Indian cricket in the international game.

“Organizers had originally priced tickets at a premium rate, believing India fan demand would outstrip supply, but the absence of India has significantly curtailed the financial windfall expected by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), underscoring the financial influence of Indian cricket across the global game,” the Times report stated.

After spending the majority of the previous year in the top two spots on the ICC World Test Championship 2025 table, India dropped to third place and missed out on the final after Test series losses to New Zealand and Australia.

“Anticipating India’s participation, Lord’s had originally priced tickets at premium rates, confident that the demand from Indian cricket supporters would outstrip supply. However, once it became clear that India would not feature in the final, MCC opted to lower ticket prices. The decision intended to prioritize a fuller, more vibrant stadium over the prospect of a sparsely populated ground with higher-priced seats," the report added.

The Marylebone Cricket Club was criticized heavily for high ticket prices last year, and as a result, they promised a review of ticket pricing.

“The decision to be flexible with prices for the World Test Championship final was taken this year, with tickets now being sold at between £40 and £90—about £50 cheaper than they had originally been priced, accounting for the loss in revenue," The Times reported.

In July, Lord's will host the third Test of the India-England series in addition to the WTC 2025 final. The game is scheduled for July 10–14.

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