In India, you still know about it, even when you’re not into cricket. And that’s only because it’s everywhere! It’s treated like a modern-day religion, and cricketers are given a celebrity-like, almost god-level pedestal.
So when I decided to write an article about ICC Trophy, with barely any knowledge and not having seen the matches, I had to rely on my Indian roots to get me through this.
To all cricket newbies like myself, the ICC Champions Trophy is an international one day cricket tournament. It used to be referred to as the ICC Knockout when it initially began in 1998, and used to take place on a bi-yearly basis. But much like the Olympics, it now takes place once every 4 years, consisting of the top 8 teams in the ICC One-Day rankings facing off against each other in a series of 15 matches.
This year, the 2025 Champions Trophy was hosted between the 19th of February and the 9th of March by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The champions of the tournament were Team India, bagging their 3rd title in this series, and beating out New Zealand in a nail-biter of a match. All the teams we divided into two groups of four, with Team A consisting of Teams India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand. Team B consisted of the teams representing South Africa, Australia, Great Britain/England, and Afghanistan.
What’s characteristic about this tournament is how competitive it is. It is the true pinnacle of international cricket, and we got to see some excellent performances from key players across all the teams. Team India not only won the championship but bagged the records for the highest batting and bowling averages, secured by K.L Rahul (140 runs) and Varun Chakaravarthy (9 wickets with a bowling rate of 15.11) respectively.
New Zealand may have not secured the championship trophy, but they did secure the record for most individual runs scored, bagged by Rachin Ravindra, who scored a whopping 263 runs across 4 matches! Matt Henry also took 10 wickets throughout 4 matches and got the best bowling figures in the entire series.
New Zealand may have not secured the championship trophy, but they did secure the record for most individual runs scored, bagged by Rachin Ravindra, who scored a whopping 263 runs across 4 matches!
England may not have given their best performance this time, but a few stood out among the rest, like Ben Duckett and Joe Root, who were among the highest scoring players of the series.
The tournament was incredibly fast-paced but entertaining, and I look forward to actually understanding and enjoying the next installment, which is set to be held in India in 2029.