ICC World Test Championship

ICC World Test Championship

Administrator	International Cricket Council
Format	Test cricket
First edition	2019–2021
Latest edition	2021–2023
Next edition	2025–2027
Tournament format	League stage and Final
Number of teams	9
Current champion	Australia (1st title)
Most successful	Australia  New Zealand (1 title each)
Most runs	Joe Root (5,325)
Most wickets	Ravichandran Ashwin (194)
2023–2025

The ICC World Test Championship (WTC), is the biennial Cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It is not an ICC event. The competition Played in Test format, contested by ICC members' senior men's national cricket teams, determining the Test champion of the world.^[1][2]

In line with the ICC's goal of having one pinnacle tournament for each of the three formats of international cricket, it is the premier championship for Test cricket.^[3] Australia are the current champions, having defeated India in the 2023 final. India have played in each WTC final, finishing runners-up in both.

WTC league games are not considered ICC events and the broadcasting rights are held by the host nation's cricketing board, not the ICC. WTC finals are ICC events. The inaugural ICC World Test Championship started with the 2019 Ashes series and finished with New Zealand lifting the trophy after defeating India in the final in June 2021. The second ICC World Test Championship started on 4 August 2021 with the Pataudi Trophy series^[4] and finished with Australia lifting the trophy after defeating India in the final in June 2023. The third ICC World Test Championship started on 16 June 2023 with the 2023 Ashes series and will conclude with the finals in England in the summer of 2025.