The ICC Champions Trophy has never been short of surprises, which is exactly why tracking the Champions Trophy odds before a ball is bowled makes for such a fascinating exercise. Since its debut nearly three decades ago, the tournament has crowned four different sole champions and one shared title, a spread that few global events can claim.
Let’s now take a walk down memory lane and remind ourselves of the best moments in the Champions Trophy history (so far).
Knockout Beginnings (1998–2000)
The competition began life as the ICC KnockOut Trophy, staged in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1998, then again in Nairobi, Kenya in 2000. Both editions were genuine knockout affairs, with no group stage cushion for a bad day. From 2002 onwards, the format shifted to a round-robin group phase followed by knockout matches, and the tournament took on its now-familiar name.
The 2002 Final That Never Really Finished
That 2002 edition produced arguably the most debated finish in the trophy’s history. India and Sri Lanka met in the final at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, but rain washed out the first attempt after India had reached just 14 without loss. A reserve-day replay fared little better; persistent rain again forced an abandonment with India 38 for 1 in their chase, and with no result possible under the playing conditions of the time, the two sides were declared joint winners. It remains the only occasion in ICC tournament history that a trophy has been shared.
Format Changes Through the 2000s
Format tinkering continued through the 2000s. By 2006, the field had settled on the top six ODI-ranked sides plus two qualifiers, and Australia lifted the trophy in India that year, beating West Indies in the final. From 2009, the competition moved to a four-year cycle and adopted the structure fans recognise today: eight teams split into two groups, with the top two from each progressing to the semi-finals.
Dhoni’s Treble and Pakistan’s Shock Win
2013 saw MS Dhoni complete a rare set, winning the one major ICC trophy that had eluded him, while 2017 brought a genuine shock as Pakistan, with Hasan Ali’s 13 wickets driving them on, beat India by 180 runs in the final at The Oval for their maiden title.
Discontinued, Then Revived: The 2025 Return
The ICC then discontinued the tournament, citing overlap with the Cricket World Cup, only to reinstate it for the 2024–2031 events cycle. Its 2025 return, hosted by Pakistan with India’s fixtures shifted to the UAE, ended with India lifting a third title, edging New Zealand in the final, with Rachin Ravindra’s 263 runs earning him player of the series.
That third title made India the tournament’s most successful side, a record built across three very different eras of the competition’s format. It’s this constant evolution, more knockout drama than most 50-over tournaments allow, that keeps the Champions Trophy odds so unpredictable heading into each new edition. Elsewhere on the stats side of things, our breakdown of the IPL’s Impact Player rule is a handy companion read. This goes especially if you’re curious how other short-format rule tweaks have reshaped modern white-ball cricket in recent years.
