India kicked off the eighth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy with a thumping 124-run victory over Pakistan on Sunday. Yuvraj Singh scored an explosive 53 in 32 balls, scoring the fastest 50 (29 balls) by an Indian in the ICC Champions Trophy. Needless to say, it earned him the Man of the Match award.
As we celebrate India’s victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, here’s looking at how the Indian team has performed in the Champions Trophy tournaments so far:
How Many Times Has the Indian Team Lifted the ICC Champions Trophy?
India has won the title two times so far. In 2002, India was declared co-champions with Sri Lanka, with the team being crowned champions for the second time in 2013 under MS Dhoni.
How Has India Fared in Other Editions of the ICC Champions Trophy?
India qualified for the finals of the Champions Trophy in 2000, but they were defeated at the hands of New Zealand. However, the team went on to emerge co-champions in the next edition of the tournament in 2002.
This was followed by a lull for three subsequent years (2004, 2006, 2009), during which the team was knocked off in the group stage.
India reached the semi-finals in the inaugural edition of the Champions Trophy in 1998. The fate of the team in 2017 remains yet to be decided. But going into the tournament, the Indian team has a reported winning rate of 71 percent, the highest for any side.
India Vs Pakistan Clashes in the ICC Champions Trophy
Of the four ICC Champions Trophy showdowns between India and Pakistan (Sunday’s match included), the scores stand levelled, with both the teams winning two matches each.
Till the 4 June match, the scores were tilted in Pakistan’s favour, but the 124-run victory brought the teams to the same level.
India's Star Players in ICC Champions Trophy Over the Years
Erstwhile Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has had a dream run in the Champions Trophy with some exceptional stats to his name. Between 1998-2004, he scored 665 runs in 13 matches and 11 innings. In 2002, he scored an unbeaten 141* runs against South Africa in Kenya.
In the 2013 edition of the tournament, Ravindra Jadeja was named Man of the Match in the finals. He also received the ‘Golden Ball’ for taking the most wickets (12).
Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 68 off 65 balls in the 4 June match, also had a spectacular 2013 Champions Trophy. He received the ‘Golden Bat’ for scoring the most runs in the series. He was also named the man of the match.
Virender Sehwag left a mark in the 2002 edition of the tournament after he emerged the highest run scorer with a total of 271 runs.
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