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Champions Trophy 2025 Photograph: (X)
The Champions Trophy came into existence thanks to the former ICC President, Jagmohan Dalmiya. Initially, the tournament was known as the "ICC KnockOut Trophy," staged in Dhaka in October 1998. The main aim of the tournament was to raise awareness and develop the game in non-test-playing nations and also to collect funds for the betterment of the sport. After the first edition of the Champions Trophy, it raised more than £10 million.
However, over the years as the formats changed, it became more relevant among the cricket-playing nations. The first edition was won by South Africa, led by standout performances from Jacques Kallis. Later in 2002, the tournament was renamed as 'Champions Trophy', considering the growing popularity of the tournament. At that time, the format went on to have a round-robin stage followed by knockouts.
The 2002 season was hosted by Sri Lanka but the finals were washed out due to rain and hence, India and the host nation had to share the trophy. The 2004 edition was the interesting one as it was hosted by England, who lost against West Indies in the finals. Also, the competition level increased in this edition because of lesser team involvement.
Return of Champions Trophy after eight years
The ICC Champions Trophy is all set to make its comeback in 2025 and will be hosted by Pakistan. This time, the tournament will be held between eight nations: India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The tournament will commence on 19th February between Pakistan and New Zealand. The first semi-final will be conducted on March 4 in Dubai, while the second semi-final will take place on March 5, in Lahore.
The finals will happen on March 9 and the venue isn't decided yet, keeping in mind India's qualification scenarios. While all the other teams have announced their squads for the tournament, India and Pakistan are the two teams left. BCCI's Vice-President, Rajeev Shukla spoke to the media and revealed that the squad will be announced on February 17 or 18. The fans will have to wait for a month to know the team combination for the ICC event.