ICC Champions Trophy 2025: A Comprehensive Overview

Introduction

The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy marked the ninth edition of this prestigious One Day
International (ODI) tournament, held from February 19 to March 9, 2025. Hosted by the
Pakistan Cricket Board, the event featured 15 matches across three venues in Pakistan and one
in the United Arab Emirates. Eight of the world's top-ranked men's national teams competed,
with Afghanistan making their debut appearance. India clinched the title, defeating New
Zealand in the final to secure their third Champions Trophy victory.

Tournament Structure and Groups:

The competition featured eight teams, divided into two groups:

 Group A: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand

 Group B: Afghanistan, Australia, England, South Africa

Each team played against the other three teams in their group during the round-robin stage.
The top two teams from each group advanced to the semi-finals

Group Stage Highlights

 Record-Breaking Performances: The tournament witnessed several remarkable

individual and team performances. Notably, Ben Duckett's 165 against Australia set a
new record for the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history. Additionally,
New Zealand's total of 362/6 against South Africa became the highest team total in
Champions Trophy history

 Emerging Teams: Afghanistan's impressive victory over England, where Ibrahim Zadran
scored a record-breaking 177, highlighted their growing stature in international cricket.
Semi-Final Showdowns

 India vs. Australia: In a thrilling encounter, India successfully chased down Australia's
total, propelled by Virat Kohli's pivotal 84 runs. This victory secured India's spot in the
final.

 New Zealand vs. South Africa: New Zealand's dominant performance, led by centuries
from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson, propelled them to the final.

 The Final: India vs. New Zealand

The final, held on March 9, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, was a captivating
contest. New Zealand batted first, posting a total of 251/7 in their 50 overs. India's chase was
anchored by Rohit Sharma's 76 runs, supported by valuable contributions from Shreyas Iyer and
Axar Patel. Despite a mid-innings wobble, India achieved the target with nine balls to spare,
securing their third Champions Trophy title.

Key Moments and Performances

 Rohit Sharma's Captaincy: Leading India to their third Champions Trophy title, Sharma's
strategic decisions, including effective use of spinners, were instrumental in the team's
success.

 Rachin Ravindra's All-Round Excellence: New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra was named
Player of the Tournament for his consistent performances with both bat and ball.

 Record-Breaking Viewership: The final garnered unprecedented viewership, with

Disney+ Hotstar recording 61 million concurrent viewers, making it the most-watched
live sporting event on an OTT platform.

Post-Tournament Reactions

 India's Triumph: Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi
congratulated the team on their victory, highlighting the nation's pride in their
achievement.

 New Zealand's Resilience: Despite the loss, New Zealand's consistent performance
throughout the tournament was commendable. Captain Mitchell Santner expressed
pride in reaching yet another final, acknowledging the team's fighting spirit.

Key Fixtures:

 Opening Match: Pakistan vs. New Zealand on February 19, 2025, at the National
Stadium in Karachi.

 India vs. Pakistan: A high-profile match on February 23, 2025, at the Dubai International
Cricket Stadium.

 Semi-Finals: Held on March 5 and 6, 2025, in Lahore and Dubai, respectively.

 Final: Played on March 9, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Champions:

India clinched the Champions Trophy title by defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the final.
Despite the challenging chase of 252 runs, India's spinners, including Kuldeep Yadav and Varun
Chakravarthy, restricted New Zealand's run rate effectively. Captain Rohit Sharma led from the
front, scoring 76 runs, and KL Rahul finished the match unbeaten.

Player of the Tournament:

Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand was named Player of the Tournament, amassing 263 runs
throughout the competition.

Notable Statistics:

 Most Runs:

o Ben Duckett (England) – 227 runs

o Joe Root (England) – 225 runs

o Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan) – 216 runs

o Tom Latham (New Zealand) – 187 runs

o Shreyas Iyer (India) – 150 runs

 Highest Individual Scores:

o Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan) – 177 runs

o Ben Duckett (England) – 165 runs

o Josh Inglis (Australia) – 120* runs

o Joe Root (England) – 120 runs

o Tom Latham (New Zealand) – 118* runs

 Most Wickets:

o Matt Henry (New Zealand) – 8 wickets

o Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan) – 7 wickets

o Will O'Rourke (New Zealand) – 6 wickets

o Ben Dwarshuis (Australia) – 6 wickets

o Jofra Archer (England) – 6 wickets

 Best Bowling Figures:

o Matt Henry (New Zealand) – 5/53

o Varun Chakravarthy (India) – 5/42

o Mohammed Shami (India) – 5/53

o Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan) – 5/58

 o Michael Bracewell (New Zealand) – 4/26

 Biggest Wins:

o By Runs:

 South Africa vs. Afghanistan – 107 runs

 New Zealand vs. Pakistan – 60 runs

 India vs. New Zealand – 44 runs

o By Wickets:

 South Africa vs. England – 7 wickets

 India vs. Bangladesh – 6 wickets

 India vs. Pakistan – 6 wickets

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 – Fixtures & Results

Date Match Venue Result

Feb 19, Gaddafi Stadium,

Pakistan vs South Africa South Africa won by 5 wickets
2025 Lahore

Feb 20, Dubai International

India vs England India won by 67 runs
2025 Stadium

Feb 21,
Australia vs Afghanistan Multan Cricket Stadium Australia won by 38 runs
2025

Feb 22, New Zealand vs National Stadium,

New Zealand won by 7 wickets
2025 Bangladesh Karachi

Feb 24, Gaddafi Stadium,

Pakistan vs England Pakistan won by 4 wickets
2025 Lahore

Feb 25,
India vs Afghanistan Multan Cricket Stadium India won by 45 runs
2025

Feb 26, National Stadium,

South Africa vs Bangladesh South Africa won by 86 runs
2025 Karachi

Feb 27, Australia vs New Zealand Dubai International New Zealand won by 4 wickets
Date Match Venue Result

2025 Stadium

Feb 29, Gaddafi Stadium,

Pakistan vs India India won by 3 wickets
2025 Lahore

Mar 1,
England vs Afghanistan Multan Cricket Stadium Afghanistan won by 6 runs
2025

Mar 2, South Africa vs New National Stadium,

New Zealand won by 111 runs
2025 Zealand Karachi

Mar 3, Dubai International

Australia vs Bangladesh Australia won by 5 wickets
2025 Stadium

Mar 5, Semi-Final 1: India vs Dubai International

India won by 6 wickets
2025 Australia Stadium

Mar 6, Semi-Final 2: New Gaddafi Stadium,

New Zealand won by 8 wickets
2025 Zealand vs SA Lahore

Mar 9, Final: India vs New Dubai International India won by 4 wickets

2025 Zealand Stadium (Champions 🏆)

Champions trophy 2025 winning moment pictures: