Since the Champions Trophy started in 1998, India have been consistent in the tournament. They started making noise in the earlier editions before their performance slumped in the middle.
Then India made a dominating comeback in the next iterations. In between, they won the competition twice to emerge as one of the most successful teams in the Champions Trophy.
That said, this article will take you through India’s performance in each Champions Trophy edition in detail.
1998: India Falters in Semis
The inaugural Champions Trophy took place in Bangladesh. Back then it was known as the Wills International Cup played completely on a knockout basis.
So India started their campaign straight in the third quarter-final. In that game, they breezed past Australia by 44 runs. India batted first and posted 307 runs before wrapping up the Aussies for 263.
That saw India reach the semi-final. But they couldn’t get past the West Indies as the Caribbeans chased down India’s 242-run target with ease.
2000: So Near and Yet So Far
The second edition also followed the knockout format, with India starting in the preliminary quarter-finals this time around. India defeated hosts Kenya in the pre-quarter-final to set up another quarter-final with Australia.
This time too, India managed to defend their total to storm into the semi-final. Then Men in Blue, led by Sourav Ganguly, overcame South Africa to book a slot in the final.
The final was against New Zealand, and Ganguly led from the front. His 117 saw India post 264 runs on the board, which seemed a decent total. But an unbeaten 102 from Chris Cairns saw New Zealand lift the trophy while India ended up as runners-up.
2002: Rain Prompts India to Share the Trophy
The 2002 edition saw the ICC bring in a new format, involving group-stage matches going into the knockouts. Placed in Pool 2, India beat Zimbabwe and England to advance into the semi-final.
The Men in Blue were up against South Africa in the semi-final one more time. And this time too, they sneaked in a victory to enter the final.
India faced hosts Sri Lanka in the title clash, which spanned two days. On the scheduled day, Sri Lanka batted first to score 244. But when India started the chase, rain decided to play spoilsport.
India batted for only two overs before the final was restarted on the next day. Even the reserve day couldn’t get full action, meaning India and Sri Lanka shared the trophy.
2004: India Crashes Out from Group Stage
After riding high in the previous three editions, India had a short ride in the 2004 edition. They started the campaign with a win over Kenya, but a 3-wicket loss against Pakistan saw them endure a group-stage exit.
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2006: No Home Advantage
India hosted the fifth edition of the Champions Trophy in 2006. But that wasn’t enough to turn the tables.
The Men in Blue suffered yet another group stage departure as they lost two of their three encounters. India got off the mark with a win against England but faced defeats against the Windies and Australia, folding yet another disappointing outing.
2009: Poor Run Continues
India’s patchy performance continued for the third edition in the running. They faced yet another loss at the hands of Pakistan, while a no result against Australia almost put India out of the tournament.
But there was still hope to qualify for the semi-final. India’s qualification was dependent on Australia’s loss against Pakistan.
But since the Aussies sneaked in a victory, India’s late win over the Windies didn’t help them cross the line.
2013: India Bag the Title in a Thrilling Final
After missing out on semis in three consecutive editions, India dominated like a boss in 2013. The Men in Blue remained unbeaten throughout the competition to lay their hands on the trophy.
They demolished South Africa, the Windies, and Pakistan in the group stage before edging past Sri Lanka in the semi-final. India then took on hosts England in the final.
The summit clash also had a bit of drama, with rain delaying the game. As the rain stopped, both teams strode out for a 20-overs-per-side match.
Now the 50-over tournament turned into a 20-over event. India batted first and mustered 129, which wasn’t enough to defend.
In response, England stumbled at the start but recovered in the middle overs. The hosts looked set to chase the target as they were cruising at 110 for 4.
But then India staged a comeback to steal a win by five runs and win the Champions Trophy for the second time.
2017: India Face Crushing Defeat in Final
The Indian team almost repeated the performance from the previous edition in 2017. They registered a comprehensive victory over Pakistan before going down against Sri Lanka in a high-scoring game.
India’s next match against South Africa was almost a virtual knockout. A loss here would have meant India heading back home. But they defeated the Proteas by seven wickets to seal the semi-final spot.
The Men in Blue faced their neighbours Bangladesh in the semi-final and chased the target of 265 runs with nine wickets to spare. That saw India and Pakistan meet in the Champions Trophy final for the first time.
India won the toss and decided to bowl first. But that decision turned out to be disastrous as Pakistan hammered 338, which India couldn’t chase. They were all out for 158, facing a heavy defeat of 180 runs against the arch-rivals.
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