Lord's To Face Financial Loss In The WTC Final (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com, @HomeOfCricket/x.com)
After a long time, the Champions Trophy arrived into the cricket arena, and India clinched the title with dominance. Even after the white ball dominance, Team India's red-ball form has been demoted in recent times. After back-to-back Test series defeats, they are out of the World Test Championship final.
As the WTC final is scheduled to take place in June, South Africa and Australia are set to lock horns at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. The iconic venue took a financial hit as India missed out on the final, dampening the expected buzz before the mega red-ball showdown.
No Team India In WTC Final
After the World Test Championship was introduced to the cricket world, Team India was a common name in the previous two editions of the final matches. While facing New Zealand in the first WTC final, Team India failed to register the win, and the setback continued as they faced a defeat against Australia in the second edition of the WTC final, leaving them still chasing their maiden WTC title.
But their setback deepened as they failed to qualify in the 2023-25 cycle of the WTC final. They were maintaining impressive form but faced a low after losing three Test match series against New Zealand in a 0-3 margin.
After that, their misfortunes continued as they lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years. After starting the series with a win, they failed to convert their form in the remaining matches. With that, they got out from the WTC final race.
Financial Setback For The Lord’s
India's dominance in world cricket extends beyond the field, making a significant financial impact as well. After Team India failed to qualify in the WTC final, it impacted Lord’s financially, losing nearly four million pounds for India’s absence from the crucial fixture. In Indian currency, the amount is nearly 45 crore.
Reports suggest ticket prices were set at a premium cost, expecting India's qualification, as the Indian fans will be eager for the tickets for the final clash. After Team India missed out on being qualified for the final, MCC dropped the ticket rate to bring more audience to the clash. That put on a massive financial impact.
After outstanding growth in the WTC points table, South Africa has been qualified for the WTC final for the first time. On the flip side, Australia qualified for the second consecutive time in the final match.