The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will be the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is a one-day international cricket tournament organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
There will be eight tournaments, and the structure will be two groups of four, semi-finals and finals following the previous editions. Pakistan will host this tournament in February and March 2025.
Pakistan is the defending champion, having won the previous edition in 2017.
History of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
The Champions Trophy, which is like a small version of the World Cup, was started in 1998 by the ICC. At first, it was a tournament where teams played knockout matches every four years. The idea was to raise funds for the first two editions in non-Test playing countries in Kenya and Bangladesh.
But because it did so well financially, they decided to also have the tournament in places like England and India, where cricket is huge. Since the 2009 edition, it has been decided that only the top 8 counties in the ICC ODI rankings will participate. The cut-off for the ranking was six months before the start of the trophy.
In 2016, the ICC canceled future editions of the Champions Trophy after the 2017 tournament, aiming to have only one major tournament in each format of international cricket.
In November 2021, ICC announced the return of the Champions Trophy, and it will take place in 2025 and 2029.
2025 ICC Champions Trophy host country
Pakistan was announced on 16 November 2021 as the host of the ICC Champions Trophy during the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This will be the first global tournament that Pakistan has been the sole host of since the attack on the Sri Lankan national cricket team in 2009.
The last major tournament held in the country was the 1996 Cricket World Cup, which it co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka.
2025 ICC Champions Trophy qualification
Pakistan automatically qualified for the tournament as hosts. They were joined by seven other top-ranked teams from the group stage of the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
It was the first time that former champions Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the tournament while Afghanistan will be participating in the tournament for the first time.
2025 ICC Champions Trophy qualified teams list
Here is the updated list of teams who have qualified for the Champions Trophy:
- India
- South Africa
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Afghanistan
- England
- Pakistan (hosts)
- Bangladesh
MORE: All Team’s Squad For The Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
ICC Champions Trophy winners list
South Africa – 1998
The inaugural Champions Trophy occurred in Bangladesh with nine teams. South Africa emerged victorious against West Indies in Dhaka’s final match, chasing down West Indies’ score of 245 runs to win by four wickets.
New Zealand – 2000
The second tournament in Kenya had 11 teams, and the final match was between India and New Zealand in Nairobi. India posted a total score of 264/6 with captain Sourav Ganguly’s innings of 117 runs.
Chasing the target, India cruised to victory and took the Kiwi team for 132 runs by five wickets. However, Chris Cairns, who came in to bat at number 5, scored a brilliant century to lead his team to victory.
India and Sri Lanka – 2002
England hosted the third edition with 12 teams. The final in Colombo between India and Sri Lanka ended in a shared title due to rain interruption, with Sri Lanka posting 222/7 and India unable to complete their innings.
West Indies – 2004
England hosted the tournament with 12 teams, and the final at the Oval in London featured West Indies and England. Despite Marcus Trescothick’s century, England managed only 217 runs, and West Indies chased the target, winning by two wickets.
Australia – 2006
India hosted the event for the first time, with the final between Australia and West Indies in Mumbai. West Indies were bowled out for 138 runs, and Australia comfortably chased the target of 116 runs, winning by eight wickets.
Australia – 2009
South Africa hosted this edition with eight teams. In the final against New Zealand, Australia chased down 200/9, with Shane Watson scoring a century, securing their second consecutive title with a six-wicket victory.
India – 2013
Hosted by England, India faced the hosts in a rain-shortened final. India scored 129/7 in 20 overs, and England fell short by five runs in the chase.
Pakistan – 2017
The tournament returned to England, featuring a final clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. Pakistan set a formidable total of 338/4, led by Fakhar Zaman’s century. In response, India was bundled out for 158 runs, suffering a defeat by 180 runs.
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Conclusion |
| 1998 | South Africa | West Indies | South Africa won by four wickets |
| 2000 | New Zealand | India | New Zealand won by four wickets |
| 2002 | Sri Lanka & India | None | India and Sri Lanka declared joint winners |
| 2004 | West Indies | England | West Indies won by two wickets |
| 2006 | Australia | West Indies | Australia won by eight wickets (D/L method) |
| 2009 | Australia | New Zealand | Australia won by six wickets |
| 2013 | India | England | India won by five runs |
| 2017 | Pakistan | India | Pakistan won by 180 runs |
Conclusion
Pakistan Cricket Board chose Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi as possible spots for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but the final decision is still pending from the International Cricket Council.
