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The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s has shattered viewership records in India, emerging as the most-watched non-India Test match in history across both television and digital platforms.
Held from June 11 to 14, the final of the third WTC cycle saw an extraordinary 2.94 billion minutes of TV watch-time on Star Sports, reaching an audience of 47 million viewers nationwide, a staggering milestone for a Test that didn’t feature the Indian team.
The match also sparked massive engagement online, clocking 225 million digital views, matching the numbers from the previous WTC Final between India and Australia at The Oval in 2023.
On the ground, a crowd of 109,227 fans packed Lord’s over four days, witnessing a gripping contest that ended with a historic triumph for South Africa.
The Proteas lifted their first WTC mace with a five-wicket win, anchored by Aiden Markram’s sensational fourth-innings century.
The opener’s 136 earned him the Player of the Match award, while Kagiso Rabada’s fiery nine-wicket haul proved instrumental in dismantling Australia across both innings.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah lauded the soaring Indian viewership, calling it a “powerful testament” to the enduring appeal of Test cricket.
“The remarkable viewership numbers for the WTC Final across both broadcast and digital platforms are a reflection of how deeply high-quality Test cricket resonates with global audiences,” Shah said.
“What makes this achievement even more special is the interest it generated beyond the participating nations. It reaffirms that Test cricket — the game’s purest format continues to thrive internationally.”
The WTC 2023–25 cycle concluded with several standout performances. England’s Joe Root finished as the top scorer, amassing 1,968 runs in 40 innings at an average of 54.66.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins topped the bowling charts with 80 wickets in 35 innings at an average of 23.48.
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