Champions Trophy: Cricket is among the most popular sports in the world right now. This game includes some of the major events. One such event is known as the Champions Trophy, which is also called the “Mini World Cup.” In the early days, it came into recognition in 1998 to extend support to non-test playing countries. However, after the first two years, it became a huge success.
After the 6th edition in 2009, it was decided that only the top 8 ranked teams would participate in the tournament. However, due to the increase in the value of T20 and with the introduction of the T20 World Cup, it was hard to carry on the “Champions Trophy”. Thus, it got scrapped after 2017. But later, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the comeback of the tournament.
Champions Trophy Winners List
| edition | Year | Host | Winner | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1998 | Bangladesh | South Africa | West Indies |
| 2nd | 2000 | Kenya | New Zealand | India |
| 3rd | 2002 | Sri Lanka | India and Sri Lanka | ——- |
| 4th | 2004 | England | West Indies | England |
| 5th | 2006 | India | Australia | West Indies |
| 6th | 2009 | South Africa | Australia | New Zealand |
| 7th | 2013 | England & Wales | India | England |
| 8th | 2017 | England & Wales | Pakistan | India |
| 9th | 2025 | Pakistan | India | New Zealand |
The next editions of this tournament will take place in 2029 and India will be the host of 2029 Champions Trophy.
1. South Africa (First Champions Trophy Winner 1998)
South Africa were the inaugural Champions Trophy champions, held in 1998 in Bangladesh. They beat the West Indies in the final of the 9-team tournament at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. West Indies gave set a target of 245 runs courtesy of a century from Philo Wallace. However, South Africa chased down the target in 47 overs with four wickets in hand.
2. New Zealand (Second Champions Trophy Winner in 2000)
The second edition of the competition took place in Kenya in 2000. This time a total of 11 teams took part in the competition. The final match was played in Nairobi between India and New Zealand. Batting first, India made 264/6 with a century from Sourav Ganguly (117). In response, the Black Caps were struggling at 132/5 at one point. But Chris Cairns scored a brilliant century and won his team the match.
3. India and Sri Lanka (Third Champions Trophy Winner in 2002)
The next edition took place in Sri Lanka with a total of 12 teams. India and Sri Lanka played the final match of the series. Sri Lanka made 222/7 in their first innings. Mahela Jayawardene and Russell Arnold scored fifty each. However, in the chase, the whole day was called off due to rain and the match went to the reserve day. But on the next day, only an 8.4-over took place due to rain. Hence, both teams were declared to be the joint winners.
4. West Indies (4th CT Winner, 2004)
The fourth edition was played in England with a total of 12 teams. England faced West Indies in the competition’s final, which was held at the Oval. Batting first, England were dismissed for 217 runs in 49.4 overs. In response, the West Indies chased down the target in 48.5 overs with two wickets in hand.
5. Australia (2006 Winner Champions Trophy)
The fifth edition was held in India. It was Australia and West Indies that played the final match, which took place at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. In the first innings, the West Indies performed poorly and got all out for just 138 runs in 30.4 overs. However, due to rain, the D/L came into play and Australia got the target of 116 runs in 35 overs. Australia chased down the target with only two wickets in hand in 28.1 overs.
6. Australia (Champions Trophy Winner 2009)
The next edition took place in South Africa, with a total of eight teams. New Zealand and Australia played in the final of the tournament. In the first innings, the Black Caps made 200/9 in their 50 overs. In the chase, Shane Watson batted brilliantly and scored 105 runs off 129 balls. Australia won the match by 6 wickets to win back-to-back titles.
7. India (2013 Champions Trophy winner)
The next edition took place in England, and it was India and England who played in the final. The match was interrupted multiple times due to rain. In the end, it was reduced to 20 overs per side. India made 129/7 in their innings. In reply, England looked good at the start but then lost wickets in the end and fell short by 5 runs of the target.
8. Pakistan (2017 CT Trophy Winner)
The most recent season took place in England. And it saw the two biggest rivals, India and Pakistan, playing a dream final at Lord’s. Pakistan batted really well and made 338/4 in their 50 overs with a brilliant century from opener Fakhar Zaman. In reply, the Indian batting totally lost the match and got out for just 158 runs to face a humiliating defeat of 180 runs.