New Delhi [India], March 11 (ANI): After coaching the Indian team to the T20 World Cup 2026 victory, head coach Gautam Gambhir has set his sights firmly on the next target, taking the Men in Blue to the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-2027 edition, calling Test cricket 'extremely close to his heart.'

India beat New Zealand by 96 runs on Sunday to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. The victory made India the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win consecutive titles after their 2024 win, and the first to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026).

While India has clinched four ICC white-ball trophies in the past two years--the 2024 T20 World Cup, 2025 Asia Cup, 2025 Champions Trophy, and 2026 T20 World Cup--they are still seeking their first World Test Championship (WTC) title.

India lost to New Zealand in the inaugural WTC final, reached the finals in the 2021-2023 edition but were defeated by Australia, and failed to qualify for the finals in the 2023-2025 edition.

However, looking ahead, Gautam Gambhir, while speaking to ANI, said Test cricket is very close to his heart, and his next goal is to guide India to the World Test Championship final. He acknowledged the challenges of red-ball cricket, especially during a transitional phase, and emphasised that the team will continue backing young players as they focus on qualifying for the WTC final.

'Test cricket is very close to my heart. That one format is extremely, extremely close. And I hope that first we can qualify for the World Test Championship final. That's my next target. And we still have, what, nine test matches to go? And the focus is going to be there because I feel that yes, we've gone through a transition in red ball cricket, and it is always difficult as compared to white ball cricket,' Gambhir said

'And there are these young boys who we will keep backing in red ball cricket because test cricket is never easy. So the next target is that hopefully we can qualify for the World Test Championship,' Gambhir added.

On being asked whether he is traditional in terms of leaning towards Test cricket more, Gambhir acknowledged it and said he values Test cricket deeply. He noted that most players in the Indian dressing room share this passion, as Test cricket is where legacies are built and offers unique opportunities for big contributions.

Gambhir also said that the satisfaction of winning a Test match, after five days of hard work, is unmatched compared to limited-overs formats.

'Yeah, 100%. And I think most of the boys in that dressing room are. They really want to do well in Test cricket. Because that is where legacies are made. That is where you feel content when you come back. That's the only format which gives you the opportunity to score a hundred, double hundred and a triple hundred. No other format gives you that opportunity. And when you go through those five days of hard work and when you get the results, there is no more satisfaction than getting a Test win under your belt, whether it is the T20 World Cup final, whether it is a 50-over game. Test cricket gives you ultimate happiness,' Gambhir said. (ANI)