The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, held across various venues in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, concluded with India emerging as undefeated champions. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, they defeated every team that came their way, capitalising on the ‘home advantage’ feeling throughout the tournament. Their victories in the semi-final and final matches highlighted the impact of discipline and strategic play in achieving victory.

Months before the tournament began, India raised objections to playing matches in Pakistan, a common privilege for host nations. Tensions escalated, with India threatening to withdraw, but a compromise was eventually reached. As part of the resolution, Pakistan enforced a ‘no playing in India’ policy until 2027. Since India opted not to play in Pakistan, their matches were moved to Dubai, ensuring the tournament proceeded smoothly.

The competition began with a round-robin group stage, followed by the semi-finals and the final. Matches were held in renovated stadiums in Pakistan, which were completed in record time. Teams were divided into two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals. Defending champions Pakistan were placed in Group A alongside India, New Zealand and Bangladesh, while Group B consisted of Australia, England, South Africa and Afghanistan.

The tournament kicked off on February 19th with the defending champions, Pakistan, facing New Zealand in Karachi. The Kiwis emerged victorious, winning by 60 runs. Pakistan’s campaign suffered a further blow with a defeat against India in Dubai, resulting in their early exit from the tournament within the first week. Dubai hosted the most matches — five out of 15 — followed by Lahore with four and Karachi and Rawalpindi with three each. Unfortunately, weather disruptions affected the schedule, with one match in Lahore and two in Rawalpindi being rained out.

Pakistan’s early exit was overshadowed when England, the 2019 World Cup winners, suffered consecutive defeats to Australia and Afghanistan. Australia chased down the required target of 352, while Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai’s five wickets restricted them while they pursued 326. England’s Ben Duckett scored the most runs in the tournament, amassing 227 runs in three innings at an average of 75.66 and a strike rate of 108.61. His tally included a remarkable 165-run innings against Australia in Lahore, setting a new record for the highest individual score in Champions Trophy history.

However, Josh Inglis of Australia stole the limelight, scoring a century off 77 balls while chasing in the exact match — becoming the fastest player to reach three figures in the 25-year history of the Champions Trophy. England was unlucky as four days later, on the same ground, Afghanistan defeated them. Ibrahim Zadran scored a sensational 177, surpassing Duckett’s record and knocking England out of the tournament.

Man of the Series, New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, was the tournament’s top scorer, scoring 263 runs in four innings at an average of 65.75. He was the only player to hit two centuries in the event. Virat Kohli accumulated 217 runs in four innings, maintaining an average of 72.33, including a crucial 84 in the semi-final against Australia. Glenn Maxwell of Australia had the best strike rate of 195 in the tournament; however, his team could not progress past the semi-final stage, where several key players were missing.

Among bowlers, New Zealand’s Matt Henry, injured before the final, topped the wicket-takers list with 10 wickets in four matches, averaging 16.70 with an economy rate of 5.32. India’s Mohammed Shami got eight wickets, but he secured a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh with figures of 5/53. Henry’s performance against India — five wickets for 42 runs — was still the best figures by a bowler in the tournament. Pakistan’s leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was the most economical bowler with an economy rate of 3.75, though his send-off to Indian batsman Shubman Gill gained more fame than his bowling.

The highest team score in the tournament was 362/6 by New Zealand against South Africa. The highest partnership of the event also came in the exact match — a 164-run stand for the second wicket between New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra. This pivotal partnership occurred during the semi-final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where both scored centuries — Ravindra with 108 and Williamson with 102. Williamson also featured in the most catches list, sharing the spot with India’s Virat Kohli, taking seven catches in their five matches. India’s wicketkeeper KL Rahul, with five catches and one stumping, had the most dismissals behind the wicket.

The most surprising team of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy was Afghanistan, which came close to securing a semi-final spot. Their journey was a mix of stunning victories and heart-breaking losses, showcasing the team’s growth on the international stage. They narrowly lost to South Africa and New Zealand and could have reached the semi-finals had England won any of its matches.

The only problem for all other teams was scheduling. All teams faced frequent travel throughout the event. India was ‘at home’ with all matches in Dubai, while even Pakistan, the hosts, had to travel to face India. New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, and South Africa also travelled to Dubai, which raised a question mark over the ICC’s handling of the event.

Despite the tensions, the Champions Trophy demonstrated the region’s capability to organise major cricketing events, setting the stage for future Asian tournaments. Pakistan upgraded their stadiums ahead of the upcoming Pakistan Super League, which kicks off on April 11th.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 15th, 2025