Bangladesh Begins New Test Championship Campaign Against Sri Lanka

Bangladesh is set to kick off its new campaign in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) with a series against Sri Lanka. The two-match series will start on June 17, 2025, marking the beginning of the prestigious 2025-27 WTC cycle. The second and final match will take place in Colombo on June 25, serving as the first bilateral series of this Test Championship cycle.

In the recently concluded third cycle (2023-25), South Africa made history by winning the Test Championship title for the first time after defeating Australia at Lord’s, shedding their previous "chokers" tag and setting a new benchmark in world cricket.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, is steadily progressing despite a slow start. The Tigers had no wins in the first cycle (2019-21) but secured a historic victory in New Zealand during the second cycle (2021-23). In the third cycle, Bangladesh won four Test matches and finished seventh, with a notable highlight being a dominant series win against Pakistan on their home ground.

In the upcoming fourth cycle, Bangladesh will play the fewest matches—only 12—equal to Sri Lanka’s number of games. The remaining five series will be scheduled for 2026 and 2027, including home series against Pakistan, West Indies, and England, and away tours to Australia and South Africa. The Australia tour will mark Bangladesh’s first Test series there since 2003.

Encouragingly, Bangladesh remained unbeaten in their last series against four of their six opponents. They drew series with England, Australia, and West Indies, and secured a commanding series victory over Pakistan, boosting team confidence.

Optimistic about the new cycle, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said, “We won four matches in the last cycle. We will try to win one or two more matches this time.”

This cycle will feature 27 series comprising 71 matches—one more than the previous cycle. According to the existing point system, teams will earn 12 points for a win, 4 for a draw, and 6 for a tie. The final is proposed to be held at Lord’s again, scheduled for June 2027.

If Bangladesh continues its steady improvement in Test cricket, cricket fans worldwide may witness some surprising performances from the Tigers in this cycle.