The ICC Champions Trophy, initially known as the Wills International Cup & ICC Knock Out Trophy, is a 50-over ODI Cricket tournament, the first tournament apart from the World Cup involving test-playing nations. The latest edition, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, is being held in Pakistan (matches of the Indian team will be played in the UAE). This all-in-one blog contains the Champions Trophy’s schedule, teams, squads, previous winners, history, facts, and other details.
So, let’s begin with the history!
History of Champions Trophy
The first Champions Trophy was held in 1998 in Bangladesh, but at that time, its name was Wills International Cup, and some also called it a mini World Cup at that time. It had a dual aim of spreading the game to emerging nations and raising money for the ICC in between World Cups, thus enabling it to pump more cash into those fledgling cricket countries. In the first edition, this tournament raised around £10 million.
The 2nd edition was held in Kenya in 2000 and was renamed the ICC KnockOut. It was a commercial success and ended up making $13 million. And now, this tournament started being held at a 2-year frequency as the 3rd edition was hosted in 2002 in Sirilanka. Again, the tournament was renamed, and this time, the name that surfaced was Champions Trophy (still in use). It was the only edition in which the trophy was shared due to the rain-affected final.
The 4th edition was held in England in 2004, which surprised many as before this, the tournament was being held in the developing nations. The 5th edition started in 2006 in India, and the number of participating nations was reduced from 12 to 10. Coming to the 6th edition, it was supposed to be played in Pakistan in 2008, but several countries expressed security concerns, forcing the ICC to postpone the tournament. Later, it was shifted to South Africa in 2009.
The 7th edition of the tournament was the first one to be held after 4 years in 2013, consisting only of the top 8 teams in the ICC ODI Rankings, hosted by England. Some sources suggest that the ICC was considering it the last one due to a lack of interest. However, the cricketing body again gave it a chance in 2017, again hosted by England. The 9th edition was supposed to be held in 2021 but was replaced with the ICC World Cup. It’s the reason why the 9th edition is being held after 8 years and for the first time in Pakistan, making it quite special as the hosts are also the defending champions.
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Event Details
If you are interested in the event details, here is an overview for you:
- Period: 19-February-2025 to 9-March-2025
- Host Country: Pakistan (India’s matches will be held in UAE)
- Cities: Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Dubai (only for India’s matches)
- Tickets: TCS (online & offline)
Defending Champions
Pakistan is the defending champion, as it won the tournament last time held in 2017, beating its archrival, India, in the final.
- Winner: Pakistan
- Runners-up: India
- Country: England
- Year: 2017
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Champions Trophy 2025 Teams List
The top 8 teams in the ICC ODI Rankings are set to play against each other. Want to know the Champions Trophy 2025 team list? Here are the groups, teams, and squads of each team:
Group A
Pakistan (Host)
Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Bangladesh
Squad: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossai Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana
India
Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja.
New Zealand
Squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, and Will Young
Group B
Australia
Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa (one further player to be added)
England
Squad: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, and Mark Wood
Afghanistan
Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, and Naveed Zadran
South Africa
Squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, and Rassie van der Dussen
Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule
Interested in the ICC Champions Trophy timetable and schedule? Let’s see it here:
| Match | Date & Time | Teams | Group | Venue |
| 1 | Feb 19. Wed 2:00 PM (PST) | Pakistan vs New Zealand | Group A | National Stadium, Karachi |
| 2 | Feb 20, Thu 2:00 PM (PST) 1:00 PM (GST) | Bangladesh vs India | Group A | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai |
| 3 | Feb 21, Fri 2:00 PM (PST) | Afghanistan vs South Africa | Group B | National Stadium, Karachi |
| 4 | Feb 22, Sat 2:00 PM (PST) | Australia vs England | Group B | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| 5 | Feb 23, Sun 2:00 PM (PST) 1:00 PM (GST) | Pakistan vs India | Group A | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai |
| 6 | Feb 24, Mon 2:00 PM (PST) | Bangladesh vs New Zealand | Group A | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi |
| 7 | Feb 25, Tue 2:00 PM (PST) | Australia vs South Africa | Group B | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi |
| 8 | Feb 26. Wed 2:00 PM (PST) | Afghanistan vs England | Group B | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| 9 | Feb 27. Thu 2:00 PM (PST) | Pakistan vs Bangladesh | Group A | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi |
| 10 | Feb 28. Fri 2:00 PM (PST) | Afghanistan vs Australia | Group B | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| 11 | Mar 01, Sat 2:00 PM (PST) | South Africa vs England | Group B | National Stadium, Karachi |
| 12 | Mar 02, Sun 2:00 PM (PST) 1:00 PM (GST) | New Zealand vs India | Group A | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai |
| 13 | Mar 04, Tue 2:00 PM (PST) 1:00 PM (GST) | TBD vs TBD | 1st Semi-Final (A1 vs B2) | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai |
| 14 | Mar 05, Wed 2:00 PM (PST) | TBD vs TBD | 2nd Semi-Final (B1 vs A2) | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| 15 | Mar 09, Sun 2:00 PM (PST) | TBD vs TBD | Final | TBD |
Facts
I have brought to you some interesting facts associated with the Champions Trophy. Let’s see them here:
Most runs
791 runs by CH Gayle (WI)
Most runs by a Pakistani
484 runs by Mohammad Yousuf
Highest total
347 runs by New Zealand against the USA in 2004
Pakistan’s highest total
338 runs against India in 2017
Lowest total
65 runs by the USA against Australia in 2004
Pakistan’s lowest total
89 runs against South Africa in 2006
Most wickets
28 wickets by KD Mills (NZ)
Most wickets by a Pakistani
14 wickets by Shahid Afridi
Champions Trophy Winners List
Looking for the Champions Trophy winners list? Here is the complete list of
| Editions | Winner | Runner-Up | Played in |
| 1st Edition: Wills International Cup (1998/99) | South Africa | West Indies | Bangladesh |
| 2nd Edition: ICC KnockOut (2000/01) | New Zealand | India | Kenya |
| 3rd Edition: ICC Champions Trophy (2002/03) | Shared by Sri Lanka & India because of no result due to rain | – | Sri Lanka |
| 4th Edition: ICC Champions Trophy (2004) | West Indies | England | England |
| 5th Edition: ICC Champions Trophy (2006/07) | Australia | West Indies | India |
| 6th Edition: ICC Champions Trophy (2009/10) | Australia | New Zealand | South Africa |
| 7th Edition: ICC Champions Trophy (2013) | India | England | England |
| 8th Edition: ICC Champions Trophy (2017) | Pakistan | India | England |
| 9th Edition: ICC Champions Trophy (2025) | To Be Decided | To Be Decided | Pakistan |
Conclusion
In the end, I wish you an electrifying cricketing season filled with exciting action and intense rivalries. If you are gearing up to get a new bat, ball, and other cricket items, OLX has numerous options for you. Find the perfect gear and get ready to bring the thrill of the game to your own backyard!
FAQs
The Champions Trophy 2025 will start on February 19, 2025.
Australia has won the Champions Trophy twice.
Yes, Pakistan won the 8th edition of the Champions Trophy in 2017, defeating its archrival, India, in the final.
Team Pakistan and India will clash on February 23, 2025.
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