Champios Trophy: Top 5 Most Shocking Upsets So Far

Top 5 Most Shocking Upsets in the Champions Trophy

It's just two weeks left for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is returning after 8 years and will be played in Pakistan and Dubai this time. In the long history of the Champions Trophy of over 2 decades, it has featured some incredible matches that shocked cricket fans around the world; the results were way beyond what people expected.

The upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 will start on 19 February in Karachi with the match between Pakistan and New Zealand. This article will discuss the five most shocking games in the tournament's history, starting with the 2017 Champions Trophy Final between Pakistan and India.


1. Pakistan vs India, Final (2017)

This match was the Champions Trophy 2017 final. Pakistan reached the finals as an underdog after a shameful defeat by India on the group stage. Pakistan lost by 124 runs. 

India, the tournament favourite due to its fantastic performance before the final, had high expectations. In the first inning, Pakistan scored a massive 338 runs, with Fakhar Zaman scoring a magnificent century.

When India came to bat, it looked like it was going to be a top fight, but with the star-packed Indian lineup, it was expected that they would win the match. But what happened afterwards was beyond everyone's expectations. 

India's batting shattered like a House of cards where every top order to middle out the batsman was coming in and going out of the field in a matter of few minutes. The lethal spell of Mohammad Amir shattered India's batting, and India got all out at just 158 runs. 

2. West Indies vs England, Final (2004)

This match was the final of the Champions Trophy 2004, and England was the host. England reached the finals after a decisive victory against Australia in the semi-finals, while West Indies, already having performed well in the tournament, also reached the finals. 

In the finals, West Indies batting first scored just 270 runs, which led everyone to think that this would be an easy win for England. But what happened when England was chasing was beyond everyone's expectations. 

England while chasing the target, lost eight wickets in just 147 runs, which makes people believe that this match is over for England. But in an amazing ninth wicket partnership, Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw made England win, this partnership is still one of the best 9th wicket partnerships in a high-pressure game like the Champions Trophy final.

3. Bangladesh vs New Zealand, Group Stage (2017)

In a group stage match between Bangladesh and New Zealand in Champions Trophy 2017, it was a must-win game for both teams in order to advance to the knockout stage. 

While waiting first, New Zealand posted a 265-run score, in response, Bangladesh shattered to losing four wickets in just 33 runs. But what happened later was one of the best partnership industries of Bangladeshi cricket. 

Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah both scored magnificent centuries and contributed to a 224-run partnership, which led to the Bangladesh victory, with the five get remaining in hand. This partnership is still one of the highest-run partnerships in the history of the Champions Trophy along with this, the victory against New Zealand secured the semi-final spot for Bangladesh.

4. India vs South Africa, Semi-Final (2002)

In the Champions Trophy 2002 semi-final, India faced South Africa, led by Shaun Pollock. In the rain-affected match, South Africa was the favourite. 

The match was shortened due to the rain. With just a few overs left, India was given a tough target. Yuvraj Singh, with 62 of 72 balls, and Mohammad Kaif, with 41*, led India to a 10-wicket victory by the DLS method.

5. West Indies vs Australia, Group Stage (2006)

In the ICC Champions Trophy 2006, West Indies faced Australia in a group-stage match. Australia was in awesome form not just in the tournament but also after winning back-to-back World Cups and the Champions Trophy, and it was the favourites in the game. 

In a nail-biting game, Australia scored 249 for nine wickets batting first. In response, the young West Indies team chased the target with a major contribution from Chris Gayle, who scored 133 runs not out. Also, in the first innings, Jerome Taylor became the first West Indian to take a hat trick in the ODI, which restricted Australia to just 249 runs.