ICC Champions Trophy 2017

The 8th edition of the Champions Trophy is underway from 1st June in England. This time the top eight teams have qualified for the event based on their ODI rankings as on 30 September 2015. Bangladesh made a surprise entry to this edition of the tournament by going past West Indies in the rankings.

The ICC Champions Trophy was inaugurated as the ICC Knock Out Tournament in 1998 and Bangladesh was the first nation to host this tournament. Its name was changed to the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002. The aim of this tournament was to promote cricket in countries like Bangladesh and Kenya who were the first two hosts of this event. But later on this tournament became the second-most important limited overs trophy after the World Cup. This tournament has provided countries like South Africa and New Zealand with their only major ICC Trophy win till date.

India has won the most number of matches (15) in the Champions Trophy and is the only team beside Australia to win the trophy twice (2002,2013). India is the defending champions of the event. Australia is the only team to win two consecutive titles in 2006 and 2009. Chris Gayle of West Indies has scored the most number of runs (791) while Kyle Mills of New Zealand has taken the most wickets (28) in the history of Champions Trophy.

The Champions Trophy has very fond memories like in 2004 Final. The 9th wicket pair of Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw shared an unbeaten partnership of 71 runs to steer West Indies to a two-wicket victory over hosts England. In 2013, India seemed to lose plot in the final while batting before the bowlers led the recovery, which resulted in a 5-runs win over England to lift the trophy. It was this edition of the Champions Trophy where MS Dhoni became the first skipper to win all the three major ICC Trophies.

The 2013 edition was supposed to be the last edition of the Champions Trophy as it was to be replaced by ICC Test Championship, which was curtailed down and the Champions Trophy was continued.

This time the tournament will begin on 1 June with hosts England taking on Bangladesh. India begin their journey with the clash against Pakistan on June 4. The venues for the tournament are London, Birmingham and Cardiff. The teams have been divided into two groups of four each with the top two teams qualifying for the semifinals. The final of the tournament is on 18 June at The Oval, London.