ICC Champions Trophy 2017: A look back at all previous winners

Four years have gone by since Ashwin bowled that final delivery to England’s James Tredwell, who failed to connect bat to ball, much to the delight of MS Dhoni behind the stumps. In an eventual 20-over game which was a result of the all too familiar English rains, India defeated the hosts at Edgbaston by 5 runs and triumphed the Champions Trophy. A young Indian side donned the white blazers to take the podium on the night of the final.

MS Dhoni had finally earned the missing piece of silverware from his collection of ICC Trophies. As Dhoni lifted the Champions Trophy, India were crowned the undisputed Champions in the cricketing world. Lifting the World Cup has its own joys, but somewhere, the Champions Trophy in hand seems like a more prestigious affair.

This tournament defines the winning team as the champion amongst champions, having overcome the top teams in the world. With the Champions Trophy 2017 round the corner, it calls for a jog down memory as we take a look at the previous editions of the mega-event. Here’s CricTracker’s quick recap of the Champions Trophy since its inception.

#1 South Africa – 1998

The tournament that is now termed the Champions Trophy found its origins in Bangladesh in 1998. The earliest edition was played in a knock-out format featuring nine teams. Surprisingly, it was South Africa who came out victorious. Their win in the 1998 event has remained the team’s only success in an ICC multi-team ODI event.

Pitted against the West Indies in the final, the Proteas gunned down a target of 246 with four wickets in hand. Jacques Kallis, arguably the nation’s finest all-rounder, was instrumental in South Africa’s triumph. Kallis amassed 164 runs, which included a hundred against Sri Lanka in the semi-final. He was also the leading wicket-taker, bagging 8 scalps, including a five-wicket haul in the all-important final. For his all-round performance in the tournament, Kallis was adjudged the Player of the Tournament.