The Champions Trophy 2025 is to be held on Pakistani soil. After a long time, an ICC tournament is going to be held in Pakistan. This time 8 teams will participate in the Champions Trophy. Among these, there is a team that has qualified for the Champions Trophy for the first time. This team is none other than Afghanistan. Afghanistan has performed well in every format in the recent past.
Afghanistan defeated 3 former champion teams
The teams that finished in the top-8 (including Pakistan) in the ODI World Cup 2023 points table have qualified for the Champions Trophy 2025. Pakistan qualified as hosts. The Afghan team performed brilliantly in the ODI World Cup 2023. The team finished sixth in the points table and won a total of four matches. Afghanistan defeated three former world champions. Which includes England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. On the basis of excellent performance, the Afghan team managed to qualify for the Champions Trophy.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has sent the schedule of the Champions Trophy 2025 to the ICC. In which the Afghan team has got a chance in Group-B. Apart from Afghanistan, this group has teams from England, South Africa and Australia. Afghanistan can play matches only with these 3 teams, because the ICC has not yet announced the official schedule of the Champions Trophy.
The teams were divided into two groups for the Champions Trophy 2025
- Group A: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh
- Group B: England, South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan
India and Australia won the title twice each
India and Australia have won the Champions Trophy twice each. Apart from this, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Pakistan have won one title each. The Champions Trophy was last played in the year 2017. Then the Pakistani team defeated the Indian team in the final.
List of teams that won the Champions Trophy title
- South Africa – 1998
- New Zealand – 2000
- India and Sri Lanka joint winners – 2002
- West Indies – 2004
- Australia – 2006
- Australia- 2009
- India – 2013
- Pakistan – 2017