India and Australia are the two most successful teams in the ICC Champions Trophy having lifted the championship twice each. Pakistan are the last name on the ICC Champions Trophy winners list after they defeated India at The Oval in London, to lift their only Champions Trophy. Inaugurated in 1998, the ICC Champions Trophy has so far seen seven different winners.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had come up with the idea of this tournament to raise money for the non Test playing countries and had called it ICC KnockOut Tournament. However, after its massive financial success in the first two editions, which were held in Kenya and Bangladesh, the ICC decided to organise it in major cricketing nations like India, England, South Africa and other nations as well.
Also known as the mini-World Cup for its growing popularity, the ICC Champions Trophy has seen a change in format over the years and is considered among the major ICC trophies. What started as fewer teams competing in a knockout format has evolved into more teams playing in a round robin competition before advancing to the semi finals and the final.
There were only eight games in the first tournament but the games and teams have gradually increased. The last global tournament in England had thirteen teams pitted against each other.
Apart from Australia who won the ICC Champions Trophy consecutively, only India can boast of winning the tournament twice.
Below is the list of all the past winners and runners-up of the ICC Champions Trophy.
ICC Champions Trophy Winners List
List of Champions Trophy winners
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Result | Final Venue |
| 1998 | South Africa | West Indies | South Africa won by 4 wickets | Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka |
| 2000 | New Zealand | India | New Zealand won by 4 wickets | Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi |
| 2002 | Sri Lanka & India | None | India and Sri Lanka declared joint winners | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo |
| 2004 | West Indies | England | West Indies won by 2 wickets | The Oval, London |
| 2006 | Australia | West Indies | Australia won by 8 wickets (D/L method) | Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai |
| 2009 | Australia | New Zealand | Australia won by 6 wickets | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 2013 | India | England | India won by 5 runs | Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham |
| 2017 | Pakistan | India | Pakistan won by 180 runs | The Oval, London |
South Africa beat West Indies to become winner of inaugural Champions Trophy (1998)
The very first ICC Champions Trophy final game had South Africa and West Indies pitted against each other. West Indies’ Philo Wallace was in superior form and had ended the competition with 221 runs. The highest wicket-taker was South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis, finishing this competition with eight wickets.
Batting first at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu National Stadium, West Indies had posted a gettable target of 246 as Wallace had scored a century. The Proteas hardly had to break a sweat, though, as they chased it down with three overs and four wickets remaining.
This is South Africa’s only ICC trophy in their history. Despite having a really good team, in ICC tournaments, South Africa have always fallen short.
New Zealand defeat India in the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy
One of the most topsy-turvy Champions Trophy finales, the 2000 edition had as many as 11 teams competing in it. Former India cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly was in superior form in that competition, ending it with a massive 348 runs, with his teammate Venkatesh Prasad finishing with eight wickets.
However, India was in for a shocker in the final despite the in-form team’s performance. Riding on Ganguly’s 117-run knock, India had posted a target of 265 batting first. And they even looked like running away with an easy win, given the Kiwis were reduced to 132/5 before Chris Cairns came in to score a century and win the title for New Zealand.
This was one of the few ICC knock out tournaments where New Zealand have done well and it took them a while to win their next ICC trophy.
India and Sri Lanka declared joint winners in Champions Trophy 2002
The 2002 edition got bigger and better, with twelve teams now competing in the ICC Champions Trophy and the tournament being held in Sri Lanka. India had Virender Sehwag garnering runs for fun in that tournament as he ended up being the highest run-scorer with 271 runs. Host nation’s Muttiah Muralitharan ended as the highest wicket-taker with 10 scalps to his name in that edition.
India and Sri Lanka had reached the final and the latter had given a paltry target of 222 runs, banking on half-centuries by Mahela Jayawardene and Russel Arnold. However, India could only bat 8.4 overs with their scoreline reading 38/1 when the game was disrupted by rain. It continued the following day as well, which was taken as a reserve for the final match, following which ICC decided to declare both the sides as the winning team.
West Indies beat hosts England to lift title in 2004
The format of 12 teams competing in a round-robin format continued in 2004, with England being the hosts. Home conditions saw the English dominate the tournament, with explosive batsman Marcus Trescothick (261 runs) leading the run-scorers list and Andrew Flintoff (9 wickets) leading the wicket-takers list.
England’s domineering run was pitted against an unpredictable West Indies side, who had already reached one Champions Trophy final and were raring to lift the title this time. Batting first, England could only post a total of 217 in 49.4 overs, with the hosts’ only performing batsman being centurion Trescothick. West Indies won the trophy by chasing down the total in 49 overs, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s 47-run proving to be crucial.
Australia become the only team to defend ICC Champions Trophy (2006 and 2009)
Despite the Australian cricket team’s dominance in world cricket which saw them win the ODI World Cup three times, the Kangaroos were never really successful in the ICC Champions Trophy until now. The 2006 edition was held in India, with Australia and West Indies reaching the final.
However, the Men in Maroon couldn’t turn up for the grand finale as they could post a paltry target of 139 runs. Rain interruption made it tricky for Australia, but the chase was eventually reduced to 116 runs in 35 overs for them. Shane Watson and Damien Martyn ensured that the Kangaroos had no hiccup lifting their maiden ICC Champions Trophy.
The 2009 edition of the Champions Trophy, which was held in South Africa, saw the number of participants getting reduced to eight teams. Australia and their archrivals New Zealand had reached the final, and the defending champions kept their superior form intact by bowling out the Kiwis for just 200 runs. It was followed by yet another super knock by Shane Watson in the Champions Trophy final as he tallied 105 runs in 129 balls to help his team win consecutive titles.
India win their second ICC Champions Trophy (2013)
The 2013 Champions Trophy was the former India cricket team captain MS Dhoni‘s last major ICC trophy victory after he had won the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. The tournament was held in England, and India had progressed to the final after beating West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Like most other Champions Trophy finals, this was rain-affected as well, with the 50-over match reduced to 20 over. India could score only 129 runs after Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja’s crucial contributions and the game was set for a close finish. In response, hosts England couldn’t stitch a crucial partnership, and India won the match by a narrow five-run margin.
Pakistan beat India to lift maiden Champions Trophy (2017)
The most recent edition of the ICC Champions Trophy saw England hosting again, and defending champions India were in stupendous form throughout the tournament. They had defeated Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa quite comprehensively in the group stages before getting the better of Bangladesh in the semi-final.
India’s archrival Pakistan had regained form after their initial hiccup in the group stages as they had gotten the better of South Africa, England and Sri Lanka to reach the final. It was the biggest Champions Trophy final ever and Pakistan had posted a mammoth target of 339 after batting first.
In reply, India’s batting line-up crumbled like a house of cards as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, all returned in single figures. Hardik Pandya’s 43-ball-76 looked promising before he was run out and all hopes were lost. Pakistan lifted the ICC title by 180 runs.
FAQs
Who won the Champions Trophy 2017?
Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy after beating India by 180 runs at The Oval in London. They are the last name on the Champions Trophy winners list.
Why was ICC Champions Trophy 2021 not held?
The ICC had decided in 2018 that the T20 World Cup would now be a two-yearly affair, and the Champions Trophy was moved out of the 2021 cricket calendar. The ICC Champions Trophy will next be held in 2025 in Pakistan and in India in 2029.
Where will ICC Champions Trophy 2025 be held?
The 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan but it remains to be seen whether or to India or the other countries will travel for the event.
