Only two batsmen scored more than 1500 runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25. The South African cricket team triumphed in the ICC WTC 2023-25 by defeating Australia in the final. Led by Temba Bavuma, the Proteas secured a memorable five-wicket victory at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, ending a 27-year wait for an International Cricket Council (ICC) title.
The ICC WTC 2023-25 began in June 2023 with an exciting Ashes series between Australia and hosts England. The closely contested five-match series ended in a 2-2 draw, but Pat Cummins’ Australia retained the Ashes Urn.
South Africa became the first team to qualify for the final after a dominant 2-0 home series whitewash against Pakistan in January 2025. Australia clinched their place in the final by defeating Sri Lanka 2-0 in the tournament’s final series in February 2025.
South Africa earned their spot in the first-ever ICC WTC final by topping the points table with a win percentage (PCT) of 69.44. They won eight matches, lost three, and drew one out of 12 games. The team won four out of six Test series, losing only to New Zealand and drawing a two-match series against India.
The defending champions Australia finished second with a PCT of 67.54, winning 13 matches and losing four in 19 Tests, with two draws. They won four out of six series and drew against the West Indies and England.
India, who were once favorites to reach the final, faltered with consecutive series losses to New Zealand and Australia late in the cycle. With a 50% win rate, India finished third and missed the final for the third consecutive time, despite playing in the previous two finals. New Zealand, champions of the inaugural WTC, finished fourth with a PCT of 48.21.
Bangladesh, the West Indies, and Pakistan had the poorest showings, finishing in the last three spots on the points table. England also failed to reach the final despite a 2-1 series win over New Zealand, concluding the tournament in fifth place under Ben Stokes’ captaincy.
The final between South Africa and Australia was held at Lord’s starting June 11, 2025. The Proteas outperformed Australia in a thrilling contest, successfully chasing a challenging target of 282 runs thanks to a brilliant century from Heinrich Markram (136) in the second innings, earning them the ICC Test Mace.
Throughout the ICC WTC 2023-25 cycle, several batsmen showed remarkable consistency over two years. Among the top 10 run-scorers, four were from England. A total of 15 players scored over 1000 runs, with only two surpassing the 1500-run milestone.
Batters With Most Runs in ICC WTC 2023-25:
| Rank | Player | Country | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Root | England | 1968 |
| 2 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | India | 1798 |
| 3 | Ben Duckett | England | 1470 |
| 4 | Harry Brook | England | 1463 |
| 5 | Usman Khawaja | Australia | 1428 |
| 6 | Steve Smith | Australia | 1403 |
| 7 | Travis Head | Australia | 1197 |
| 8 | Zak Crawley | England | 1175 |
| 9 | Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 1152 |
| 10 | Kamindu Mendis | Sri Lanka | 1123 |
