New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner bats during the T20 cricket international between New Zealand and the West Indies in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain bowls a delivery. File.
| Photo Credit: AP

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 marks the ninth edition of the tournament, having first been held in 1998 as the ‘ICC KnockOut Trophy’. Over the years, the tournament has been won by seven nations, ensuring countless incredible moments on the field. With the Champions Trophy set to return in Pakistan and the UAE, we take a look back at five of the most iconic moments from past editions of the tournament, according to the official website of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Virender Sehwag wins it with the ball

Star batter Virender Sehwag turned the game with his off-spin as India qualified for the final of the 2002 edition with an exciting triumph over South Africa in Colombo.

Sehwag had already contributed a splendid half-century as India posted a competitive total of 261/9 at R Premadasa Stadium, but the Proteas appeared in control during the run chase as they took the score to 200 with seven wickets still in hand and nine overs still remaining.

Enter Sehwag, who took the key wickets of Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener to seal an enthralling victory for India and book their place in the final against Sri Lanka.

West Indies’ heroic victory

Things looked bleak for the West Indies when key batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul was dismissed and the Caribbean side still required 81 runs for victory with just two wickets in hand against England in the 2004 title decider at The Oval in London, but an incredible ninth-wicket partnership between Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw paved the way for a remarkable run chase.

Browne and Bradshaw put on an unbeaten 71 as the West Indies successfully chased down England’s decent total of 217 with seven deliveries remaining as the Caribbean side claimed their inaugural title.

England stun South Africa at home

England had a day out in this high-scoring encounter at Centurion in 2009 as they booked their place in the knockout stages with an eye-catching triumph over the host nation South Africa.

Owais Shah was the hero with the bat as he smashed six sixes in an innings of 98, while pace duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad picked up three wickets apiece in reply as the Proteas fell agonisingly short in reply.

Graeme Smith played a lone hand for South Africa with a brilliant 141, but that wasn’t enough as England progressed to the semi-finals with plenty of momentum.

Lasith Malinga stars in low-scoring thriller 

Low-scoring contests can often lead to climatic finishes and that was certainly the case in Cardiff in 2013 as New Zealand pulled off a remarkable one-wicket triumph over Sri Lanka.

Not many would have expected Sri Lanka’s low total of 138 to be competitive, but pacer Lasith Malinga had other ideas as he ripped through the Black Caps’ middle-order to reduce New Zealand to 122/8 in reply.

It was left to Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenaghan to guide the Kiwis over the line, but not before Sri Lanka had threatened to produce a massive upset.

It was a memorable day at The Oval in London as Pakistan clinched their first Champions Trophy title with an emphatic victory over arch-rival India.

Fakhar Zaman leads Pakistan to victory over India

Opener Fakhar Zaman set the ball rolling with a superb century as Pakistan put 338/4 on the board and an inspired bowling performance from Mohammad Amir ensured that score was more than enough.

Fakhar was initially dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah, but a no-ball by India’s pace spearhead came back to haunt him as Fakhar took full advantage of his lifeline.

Amir tore through the heart of India’s top-order by dismissing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in quick succession and India could never recover as they were bundled out for just 158 in reply.

The 2025 edition of the International League T20 (ILT20) culminated on Sunday with Dubai Capitals clinching the title. In the summit clash, Dubai registered a thrilling four-wicket win over Desert Vipers to ear their maiden title. Opting to bowl first, the Capitals conceded 189 runs as Max Holden and skipper Sam Curran scored 76 and 62 runs respectively for the Vipers. Later, the Capitals bounced back in style and chased down the target with four balls to spare. Apart from this thrilling chase, the match also had a controversial moment.

In the 8th over of the Capitals’ chase, Vipers wicketkeeper Azam Khan showed his amazing skills to stump out Rovman Powell on Nathan Sowter’s delivery. As the Vipers began to celebrate Powell’s dismissal, the TV umpire saw that Azam’s gloves were in line with the stumps when stumped out Powell.

Drama drama drama!

An erroneous stumping No ball declared Batter called back Wide Free Hit hit for

And ALL that action in just ONE BALL! It’s all happening out there!#Final #DPWorldILT20 #TheFinalPush #AllInForCricket @DPWorldUAE @DP_World @ilt20onzee pic.twitter.com/Hlf6Im5m2l

— International League T20 (@ILT20Official) February 9, 2025

Hence, the Caribbean batter was called back as the delivery was declared a no-ball. However, the action did not end here. The next delivery, which was a free-hit, Sowter ended up throwing it as a wide ball. Finally, when he delivered the next ball perfectly, Powell comfortably smashed it for a six.

This blunder by Azam Khan proved to be expensive for the Vipers as he went on to score 63 off 38 balls.

Talking about the match, chasing 189, Sikandar Raza provided the decisive late surge with a blistering 12-ball 34, sealing victory in the final over. Earlier, Rovman Powell’s 63 and Shai Hope‘s composed 43 (in 39 balls, with two fours and a six) laid the foundation for the Capitals’ triumphant chase, as per an ILT20 press release.

For the Vipers, Max Holden’s innings of 76 runs weathered the loss of early wickets before Sam Curran took control of proceedings with an unbeaten half-century, studded with five fours and three sixes. Azam Khan also stepped up on the occasion with a boundary-laden cameo of 27 runs in the death overs.

The Capitals beat the Desert Vipers for a sixth consecutive time. Capitals took home the cash prize of USD 700,000 while the Desert Vipers were awarded USD 300,000.

Adding to the excitement of a grand final and a new champion, the ILT20’s signature awards that recognise outstanding individual performances saw Shai Hope walk away with the Green Belt (best batter), finishing the competition with 529 runs. MI Emirates’ Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed the White Belt (best bowler) for his 21 wickets in 11 innings.

Cricket fans are in for a prime-time feast, with old rivals poised to return to action. The International Masters League (IML) has unveiled the schedule of fixtures for the highly-anticipated inaugural season, which will feature six teams – India, Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. JioStar’s Disney+ Hotstar along with Colors Cineplex (SD & HD) and Colors Cineplex Superhits will broadcast the tournament live for all cricket aficionados. The matches will begin at 7:30 pm.

The opening game, scheduled for February 22, 2025, will witness a faceoff between the Asian giants. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar will lead an Indian team against a Sri Lankan side led by Kumar Sangakkara, one of Sri Lanka’s most successful captains.

IML will be a celebration of cricket’s unique and enduring legacy. I can’t wait to step back onto the field with my contemporaries in a league that will be intense and competitive, with all the teams playing hard, but fair”, Sachin Tendulkar, the captain of the Indian team, said.

“The IML is a tribute to cricket’s timeless charm. It is a wonderful opportunity for former cricketers. It’s a platform where they can relive old rivalries and reconnect with fans. I am excited to participate in this historic league alongside so many illustrious names”, said Kumar Sangakkara, the captain of the Sri Lankan team.

“We are thrilled and honoured to partner with JioStar for the IML. We have no doubt that JioStar, with its experience and, expertise in sports broadcasting, will make the league a memorable experience for cricket fans across the globe”, Jahan Mehta, Director, FSPM, said.

“We are delighted to broadcast the inaugural season of the International Masters League on Disney+ Hotstar, along with our linear channels Colors Cineplex and Colors Cineplex Superhits. The IML is more than just a cricket tournament-it is a reunion of greatness. Fans can expect thrilling matches, expert commentary, exclusive behind-the-scenes access and a lot of nostalgia, in the weeks to come,” said Rohan Lavsi, Head – Hindi Movies Business, JioStar.

The IML match-schedule is as follows:

After five matches in Navi Mumbai, the IML will move to Rajkot; thereafter, the matches will move to Raipur. Raipur will also host the semi-finals and final.

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja launched a scathing tirade after Pakistan, for the first time in 34 years, lost a Test against the West Indies on home turf. After ending Bazball’s dominance with a 2-1 series win against England last year, Men in Green thought they had cracked the formula for victory at home – producing a turning strip. The trend of competing on spin paradise continued during the two-match Test series against the West Indies. 

In the opening Test, the Caribbean side withered on Multan’s surface, where the ball spun right from the opening hour. But after losing the series opener, the West Indies upped the ante in the second Test, especially on the batting front and bounced back with a 120-run victory, their first in 34 years in Pakistan.

According to Ramiz, the frustrating thing about the Pakistan team is dropping the tempo against weak opposition, a mistake that the former cricketer doesn’t expect from the Asian side.

“It is hard to justify this defeat. When you prepare such a brutal spin track, it becomes a lottery. So winning the toss becomes an important thing, and every inning becomes important. The frustrating thing about Pakistan Cricket is against the top teams, we play in top gear, but against weak teams, we drop our standard. Novice mistakes. You don’t expect such mistakes from Pakistan cricket, especially from batters,” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel.

In the opening Test, the beleaguered West Indies side tried to resist Pakistan’s spin prowess but eventually succumbed to a 127-run defeat. Even after suffering a bitter loss, the expression ona the faces of the West Indies players suggested that they had figured out their next plan of action.

But in the second game, signs pointing towards Pakistan’s defeat were all over the place when the visiting party won the toss and decided to bat. A fiery stand from the tail-end lifted the West Indies from 38/7 to 163.

With a slender 9-run lead, the West Indies captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, blazed his way to a valuable 52(73) to propel his side to a competitive total of 244.

Sajid Khan, who has been at the forefront of Pakistan’s recent home success, wavered in his line and lengths and leaked runs throughout his spell. Even the batters couldn’t use their feet to negate the spin threat.

Ramiz was quick to note the flaws in Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in Multan and added, “Things can’t be taken for granted. Spinners gave away runs, and the batting lineup was disappointing. You have to think whether the batters can survive or not. Nobody was expecting that the West Indies would end the second Test on Day 3 and leave with a series draw.”

Noman Ali in action for Pakistan cricket team© AFP

Shan Masood in press conference© X (Twitter)

Jomel Warrican send-off to Sajid Khan© Video Grabs

Pakistan vs West Indies, 2nd Test Day 3: West Indies defeated Pakistan by 120 runs© AFP