Knock Out
The ICC Champions Trophy was born ICC Knock Out Tournament. The year was 1998. The objective: a short tournament — eight matches over nine days — to raise funds for the development of cricket in non-Test playing countries. Nine Test playing nations participated. Hosts Bangladesh were not one of them. The pitch at the Bangabandhu Stadium, Dhaka, was slow; the crowd anything but. Sachin played a grand knock against Australia (141). But Mr Knock Out was Hansie Cronje. South Africa beat West Indies by 3 runs in the final.
Wet blanket: That year it rained so hard that Bangladesh experienced terrible floods weeks ahead of the tourney. For a while the ICC considered moving the match to Calcutta.
A Tie, A Tie
The 2002 ICC Champions Trophy was held in Sri Lanka, and included the 10 ICC Test playing nations and the newly-appointed full members Bangladesh, Kenya and Netherlands. India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners.
Wet blanket: India were 14-0 chasing Sri Lanka’s 244-5 in the final when it started to rain. Next day, Sri Lanka batted first in a new game and scored 222 for 7. It started raining once India reached 38 runs in 8.4 overs.
Blah
2006 was the year of the new format. Eight teams competed in the group phase. In the finals, Australia beat West Indies. A total of 21 matches were played.
Wet blanket: India lost both matches. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif tested positive for a steroid. It rained on the finals. Aussies won courtesy Duckworth-Lewis (DL).
A Win, A Win
England and Wales hosted the 2013 Trophy. India beat England by 5 runs at Edgbaston. Ravindra Jadeja received the Golden Ball and Shikhar Dhawan the Golden Bat. It was Dhoni’s golden hour.
Wet blanket: Seven rain-affected games in all. India won the final, again courtesy DL.
Frenemies
2017 finals. It’s India vs Pakistan. In the eight years since the Mumbai terror attacks, the two countries have played each other 16 times. Since Independence, they have clashed in 132 ODIs. India won 51, Pakistan 72. The last ICC face-off was at the 2007 World Twenty20. India won. For the last title clash of the two, rewind to 1985 Benson and Hedges Cup. Today’s yet another big day.
Wet blanket: Come oooon!
Upala Sen
