ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Schedule and Betting Options

About ICC Champions Trophy

The competition was inaugurated in 1998 as the ICC KnockOut Tournament and the name was later changed to the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002. Up to 2006, the ICC Champions Trophy was held every two years. The tournament had been scheduled to be held in Pakistan in 2008 but was moved to South Africa in 2009 due to security reasons. Thereon, it was decided to be conducted every five years, similar to the World Cup. India and Australia have won the title twice and are the most successful teams in the world.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Match Schedule

Here is the match schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:

Group Stage Matches:

• February 19, 2025: Pakistan vs. New Zealand (Karachi)
• February 20, 2025: South Africa vs. Afghanistan (Lahore)
• February 21, 2025: Australia vs. England (Rawalpindi)
• February 22, 2025: India vs. Bangladesh (Dubai)
• February 23, 2025: Pakistan vs. India (Dubai)
• February 24, 2025: New Zealand vs. Bangladesh (Karachi)
• February 25, 2025: South Africa vs. England (Rawalpindi)
• February 26, 2025: Afghanistan vs. Australia (Lahore)
• February 27, 2025: Pakistan vs. Bangladesh (Karachi)
• February 28, 2025: India vs. New Zealand (Dubai)
• March 1, 2025: South Africa vs. Australia (Rawalpindi)
• March 2, 2025: England vs. Afghanistan (Lahore)

Semi-Finals:

• March 4, 2025: Group A Winner vs. Group B Runner-up (Lahore/Dubai if India qualifies)
• March 5, 2025: Group B Winner vs. Group A Runner-up (Karachi/Dubai if India qualifies)

Final Match:

• March 9, 2025: Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2 (Lahore/Dubai if India qualifies)

Structure of ICC Champions Trophy 2025

The number of teams kept fluctuating since the beginning of the tournament. However, since 2006, a total of 8 teams have been invited to play in the league. Those teams are divided into two groups where each team plays a match with the others in the group. The top two finishers in the group are further promoted to the semi-finals. Losing a single match potentially means elimination from the tournament. The winners from the semis collide in the finals to lift the trophy. A total of 15 matches are played in the present format of the tournament, with the tournament lasting about two and a half weeks.

Matches in 2025 will be hosted across Pakistan—in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—and in Dubai. Due to political tensions, all of India’s matches, including potential semi-finals and the final (if they qualify), will be played in Dubai.

The tournament will commence with Pakistan facing New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi. A highly anticipated match between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai. The final is slated for March 9 in Lahore; however, if India qualifies, it will be relocated to Dubai.

ICC Champions Trophy Teams

The teams participating in the competition have varied over the years. From ICC’s full members to the inclusion of associate members from 2000 to 2004 helped with the widespread popularity of the sport across the globe. Since 2009, the top 8 teams in the ICC ODI rankings six months prior to the tournament were given exclusive invitations to the competition. 

The current top 8 occupants in the ICC ODI rankings are :

• Australia;
• Pakistan;
• India;
• New Zealand;
• England;
• South Africa;
• Bangladesh;
• Afghanistan.

History of ICC Champions Trophy

The ICC conceived the idea of the ICC Champions Trophy  – a short cricket tournament to raise funds for the development of the game in non-test playing countries. South Africa, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and England have been the prominent teams participating in the tournament. They were joined by a few associate countries or non-test playing nations like Bangladesh, Kenya, Netherlands, United States and Zimbabwe till 2006. The competition witnessed massive success and was further promoted to cricketing nations like India and England to generate revenue for the board. The tournament attracted World Cup-like attention as it involved all ICC members and was planned as a knock-out tournament to make it brief, not to diminish World Cup’s importance. However, since 2002, the tournament has had a round-robin format, followed by a few knockout games but the tournament still takes place over a short period of time – about two weeks. 

ICC Champions Trophy  Winner List

ICC Champions Trophy Point Table

The previous ICC Champions Trophy took place in 2017.

Group Stage: GROUP – A

Group Stage: GROUP – B