ICC Champions Trophy Winners: A Look at Past Champions (1998-2017)

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to begin in a few hours, marking the return of the prestigious tournament after an eight-year hiatus. The opening match will be played between Pakistan and New Zealand this afternoon, while India will face Bangladesh in its first match tomorrow. This edition of the tournament will follow a hybrid model, with matches being hosted in Pakistan and Dubai. Notably, Team India will play all its matches in Dubai.

The ICC introduced the Champions Trophy in 1998 as the "ICC KnockOut Tournament" to generate funds for non-Test-playing nations and promote cricket in associate countries. The tournament continued until 2017 before being discontinued in 2021 due to scheduling challenges. Since the ODI World Cup is held every four years, some questioned the necessity of another 50-over tournament. Additionally, back-to-back ICC T20 World Cups in 2022 and 2024 made it difficult to accommodate the event. However, the ICC has now revived the Champions Trophy, with the 2025 edition set to take place.

Over the previous eight editions of the tournament, seven different teams have claimed the title. India and Australia remain the most successful teams, having won the trophy twice each. As the 2025 tournament approaches, here is a look at the past winners from 1998 to 2017.

The first edition featured nine Test-playing nations. India defeated Australia to reach the semi-finals but lost to the West Indies. South Africa, led by Hansie Cronje, advanced to the final after defeating England and Sri Lanka. In the final, Cronje's unbeaten 61 and Jacques Kallis' five-wicket haul helped South Africa defeat the West Indies by four wickets to claim the inaugural title.

The second edition, held in Kenya, saw 11 teams compete. India reached the final by defeating defending champions South Africa in the semi-finals. However, New Zealand, led by Chris Cairns' match-winning century, defeated India in the final to win their first ICC title.

Originally scheduled to be hosted in India, the tournament was moved to Sri Lanka due to tax exemption issues. Twelve teams participated, including 10 Test-playing nations along with Kenya and the Netherlands. In the semi-finals, Sri Lanka defeated Australia, while India beat South Africa. However, the final was washed out due to rain, and both India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners.

The fourth edition saw the West Indies emerge victorious. In the final, held at The Oval in England, the Caribbean side defeated the hosts to claim their first Champions Trophy title.

The fifth edition saw defending champions West Indies reach the final once again, but this time, they lost to Australia. The match was affected by the Duckworth-Lewis method, with Australia winning by eight wickets to secure their first Champions Trophy title.

For the 2009 edition, only the top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings were eligible to participate. Originally scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan, security concerns led to the tournament being moved to South Africa. The teams were divided into two groups, and Australia defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the final, successfully defending their title and becoming the first team to win back-to-back Champions Trophy tournaments.

India's triumph in 2013 was powered by Shikhar Dhawan's 363 runs and Ravindra Jadeja's 12 wickets. Under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, India defeated hosts England in the final by five runs, securing their second Champions Trophy title.

Many believed that the 2013 edition would be the last Champions Trophy, as the ICC had proposed replacing it with the World Test Championship (WTC). However, after the WTC concept was scrapped in 2014, the Champions Trophy was reinstated.

India once again reached the final, with Shikhar Dhawan playing a key role by scoring 338 runs in the tournament. However, Pakistan dominated the final, handing India a crushing 180-run defeat—the biggest margin of victory in a Champions Trophy final—securing their first-ever ICC Champions Trophy title.

With the tournament set to return in 2025, all eyes will be on whether India, Australia, or another team can add to their Champions Trophy legacy.