The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy was held in England and Wales from June 1 to June 18. It was an exciting part of the tournament’s history, being the eighth and final Champions Trophy before it ended. This edition had many surprises, with impressive showings from underdog teams, strong victories, and a memorable final where Pakistan won the title for the first time.
The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy had eight leading ODI teams split into two groups. Group A included England, Australia, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B had India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Each team played three matches in the group phase, and the two best teams from each group moved on to the semifinals. This setup created a competitive atmosphere, as teams had few chances to reach the knockout rounds.
Key Match Highlights – 2017 ICC Champions Trophy
England won the toss and chose to field against Bangladesh, successfully chasing a total of over 300 for the first time in Champions Trophy history, gaining 2 points while Bangladesh stayed at 0. In the match between New Zealand and Australia, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat. Rain interruptions affected the game several times, resulting in no outcome. Josh Hazlewood from Australia achieved 6 wickets for 52 runs, marking the second-best bowling figures in Champions Trophy history, with both teams earning 1 point each.
In the game between South Africa and Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to field. Hashim Amla from South Africa became the fastest player to score 25 ODI centuries in just 151 innings. Sri Lanka’s captain, Upul Tharanga, was suspended for two matches due to a slow over-rate, and South Africa won by 96 runs, earning 2 points while Sri Lanka remained at 0. India played against Pakistan in a match affected by rain, where Pakistan won the toss and chose to field. The rain adjusted Pakistan’s target to 289 runs in 41 overs, but India excelled, winning by 124 runs using the DLS method. Wahab Riaz from Pakistan recorded the worst bowling figures in Champions Trophy history with 0 wickets for 87 runs. India gained 2 points while Pakistan stayed at 0.
Exciting Matches at the group stage of 2017 ICC Champions Trophy
Another rain-affected match between Australia and Bangladesh ended with no result. Bangladesh won the toss and batted first, but their innings was interrupted by rain. David Warner from Australia became the fastest Australian to reach 4,000 ODI runs in 93 innings. Both teams received 1 point each. In the match between England and New Zealand, New Zealand chose to field, but England won comfortably by 87 runs. Jake Ball from England was named Player of the Match, and England earned 2 points, qualifying for the semi-finals, while New Zealand remained at 0.
Pakistan faced South Africa in another rain-affected match. South Africa batted first but lost due to the DLS method, allowing Pakistan to secure a win. Fakhar Zaman made his ODI debut for Pakistan. Pakistan earned 2 points, while South Africa received none. In the match between India and Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field first.
Knockout Matches
Semi Final
1st Semi Final: England vs Pakistan (Cardiff, June 14)
Pakistan showed great strength against England, with Hasan Ali taking three wickets and limiting England to 211 runs. Pakistan easily chased the target, winning by 8 wickets and reaching their first Champions Trophy final.
2nd Semifinal: India vs Bangladesh (Birmingham, June 15)
India proved their dominance by defeating Bangladesh decisively. Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten 123, and Virat Kohli added 96, allowing India to successfully chase down Bangladesh’s total of 264, winning by 9 wickets.
Final
The highly awaited final between rivals India and Pakistan captured worldwide interest. India, seen as the favorite, was expected to take control. However, Pakistan showcased one of their best ODI performances.
Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan’s young opener, made a remarkable innings, scoring 114 runs off 106 balls. His century, along with important scores from Azhar Ali (59) and Babar Azam (46), helped Pakistan reach a strong total of 338/4 in 50 overs.
In their chase for 339, India faced an early challenge as Mohammad Amir took down the top order. He dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shikhar Dhawan, leaving India at 54/5. Hardik Pandya tried to recover with a quick 76 off 43 balls, but India was all out for 158.
Pakistan triumphed by 180 runs, marking the largest victory margin in an ICC tournament final. Hasan Ali, who took three wickets in the match, was awarded Player of the Tournament for his total of 13 wickets throughout the tournament.
Performance Analysis
Batting
Shikhar Dhawan from India was the top run-scorer in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, making 338 runs in five matches with an average of 67.60 and a highest score of 125. His teammate Rohit Sharma was close behind, scoring 304 runs in five innings at an average of 76.00, including a best of 123*.
Tamim Iqbal from Bangladesh also stood out, scoring 293 runs in four matches with an average of 73.25 and a top score of 128. England’s Joe Root showed great consistency, gathering 258 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 86.00, with a highest score of 133*.
India’s captain, Virat Kohli, made a notable contribution as well, scoring 258 runs in five innings at an average of 129.00. Although he didn’t hit a century, his highest score of 96* highlighted his skill in stabilizing innings and making key contributions for his team.
Bowling
Hasan Ali from Pakistan was the top bowler in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, taking 13 wickets in five matches with an impressive average of 14.69 and an economy rate of 4.29. His best performance was 3/19, which was key to Pakistan winning the title.
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood was next, securing nine wickets in three matches, averaging 15.77 and an economy rate of 5.07. His best figures were 6/52. Pakistan’s Junaid Khan also shone, taking eight wickets in four games with an average of 19.37 and a best of 3/40.
From England, Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid were notable bowlers. Plunkett took eight wickets in four matches, averaging 24.50, with his best being 4/55. Rashid, a leading leg spinner for England, claimed seven wickets in three matches at an average of 20.28, with a top performance of 4/41.
Conclusion
The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy was full of surprises and outstanding performances. Pakistan, seen as the underdogs, shocked everyone by winning their first ICC Champions Trophy, creating a historic moment for their cricket team. Their impressive win over India in the final is still one of the most memorable moments in ODI cricket.