Biggest Shocks England Faced in ICC Tournaments

The England cricket team came to Pakistan to win their first ever ICC Champions Trophy tournament. The best finish for England was their two runner-up finishes against the West Indies and India in the finals of the 2004 and 2013 editions. The loss on Wednesday to Afghanistan by eight runs ended their hopes of making it to the semi-finals. 

After their wins in the 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup, England have struggled in ICC tournaments. Even the addition of coach Brendon McCullum to the white-ball formats hasn’t helped England. This is not the first time the English have faced shocking defeats in ICC tournaments. 

The first instance was in 1983, when an unfancied Indian side beat England in the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup. Nine years later, Zimbabwe had beaten England in the 1992 World Cup to create one of the biggest shocks in the tournament. Over the next few years, England has faced a few more shocking losses in ICC events. 

Here are the top five shocking losses foe England in ICC Events

5: Loss to Netherlands in 2009 and 2014 T20 World Cups

England had hosted their first ever T20 World Cup in 2009 and in the very first match they had lost to the Netherlands. The hosts batted first and scored 162 on the board, with Luke Wright top scoring with 71 runs. In reply, the Dutch won in the final ball of the match to create a huge upset. Five years later, the two sides met once more, this time in Chattogram, where the Netherlands batted first and scored 133 from their 20 overs. In reply, England were all out for 88 runs to lose the match by 45 runs. 

4: Loss to Ireland in 2011 ODI World Cup 

Bengaluru played host to the England vs. Ireland match in the 2011 ODI World Cup. Jonathan Trott’s 92 and Ian Bell’s 81, along with 59 by Kevin Pietersen, had helped England post 327/8 from their 50 overs. It was the Kevin O'Brien show as the Irish batter slammed a fifty-ball century to help his side overhaul the target with five balls to spare. Ireland had beaten England by three wickets to cause one of the biggest shocks in the ICC tournament. 

3: Loss to Bangladesh in 2015 ODI World Cup 

Eoin Morgan and his England side were beaten by the Bangladeshi side to exit the 2015 ODI World Cup in the group stages. Mahmudullah’s 103 and Mushfiqur Rahim’s 89 ensured the Bangladeshi side scored 275 runs on the board from their 50 overs. Ian Bell batted well to score 63 in the chase before losing wickets at regular intervals. Jos Buttler’s 65 off 52 balls and Chris Woakes’ 42 not out went in vain as England were bowled out for 260 to lose by 15 runs. 

2: Loss to Afghanistan in 2023 ODI World Cup 

Coming into the tournament as defending ODI World Cup winners, England had to endure a huge, shocking loss to Afghanistan. The game in New Delhi saw the Afghans bat first and post 284 runs as Rahmanullah Gurbaz top scored with 80. In reply, England were all out for 215 with Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman taking three wickets each. Barring the knock of 66 by Harry Brook, none of the English batters managed to put up a fight 

1: Loss to Afghanistan in Champions Trophy 2025

The match between England and Afghanistan was key for both sides, as a loss would spell an end to their tournament. Hasmatullah Shahidi won the toss and thanks to Ibrahim Zadran’s 177, the Afghans were able to post 325 on the board. England were all out for 317 in the final over of the inning and lost by eight runs. This despite a tremendous ton from Joe Root, who scored 120 runs.