Aakash Chopra analyzed India’s position in the championship race, highlighting the potential impact of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka on the standings.
With four victories and four loses in nine games, India is now ranked fifth in the World Test Championship, with a points percentage of 48.150. A vital two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which begins on August 15, 2026, will have a significant impact on the team’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup.
“If we lose 2-0, we will remain at only 39 percentage points, and Sri Lanka will jump to 61 percentage points, and they will be No. 4.” Sri Lanka will be in the running if they defeat India 2-0. Then they have a realistic opportunity of moving forward; otherwise, it’s a so-near-yet-so-far scenario for them,” Aakash Chopra remarked on his YouTube channel.
The impact of the Sri Lanka series on the World Tour rankings
If India wins the Sri Lanka series, they will move up significantly in the rankings. Chopra outlined potential series scenarios, stating that a 2-0 win would result in a 57.58 percentage point margin. If we make a thorough sweep, we will gain a little. If we draw the series 1-1, we will not gain anything because we will be at 48.48 and Sri Lanka at 44.44, and the positions will remain unchanged,” Aakash Chopra stated.
Future problems for Australia and New Zealand
With difficult assignments scheduled for the next months, India’s challenges extend beyond the Sri Lanka series. In October and November of 2026, the team will go to New Zealand for a two-game series. In January and February 2027, they will play five matches against Australia in India.
Additionally, they will face a challenging two-match series in New Zealand. Even if you lose one match, you will lose 50 percentage points. It will be a challenging one, followed by five matches against Australia in India.
