Top 8 teams who have qualified for most ICC Champions Trophy finals

South Africa won the inaugural edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in 1998.

The first edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, formerly known as the ICC Knockout Trophy, was held in 1998 in Bangladesh. The concept of the competition was introduced by the ICC to keep ODI cricket relevant and interesting between the four-year cycle of World Cups.

So far, eight editions of the tournament have taken place. Initially, the competition was held every two years but was later shifted to a four-year cycle after 2009. The tournament was discontinued after 2017, but returned in 2025.

In this article, we will look at the teams that have qualified for the most ICC Champions Trophy finals throughout its rich history.

Top eight teams who have played most ICC Champions Trophy finals:

8. South Africa – 1

Known for their “chokers” tag in ICC tournaments, South Africa’s triumph in the inaugural season of the ICC Champions Trophy in 1998 is often forgotten.

Their only appearance in the final of the tournament came in 1998, where they defeated West Indies by four wickets in Dhaka.

Chasing 246 runs, captain Hansie Cronje led the Proteas’ reply with an unbeaten 61. He was supported by Mike Rindel and Jacques Kallis, who scored 49 and 37 runs respectively to guide them to the trophy.

7. Pakistan – 1

Pakistan created history when they defeated arch-rivals India in a one-sided final at The Oval in 2017. Drawn in Group A, Pakistan finished second in the group stage to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament.

In the semi-final, Pakistan defeated hosts England by eight wickets to make it to their first and only final in the tournament’s history, where they thumped India by 180 runs.. Fakhar Zaman was named Player of the Final for his brilliant 114 off 106 balls.

This remains their only appearance in the tournament’s final.

6. Sri Lanka – 1

Sri Lanka reached the ICC Champions Trophy final only once, which was in the 2002 edition.

Sri Lanka faced India in the final, which was unfortunately washed out due to rain on both the regular and reserve days. Both teams were declared joint winners.

5. England – 2

England have been the unluckiest team in ICC Champions Trophy history. The Three Lions reached the tournament final twice, but lost on both occasions.

England lost the final of the 2004 edition against West Indies in their own backyard at the Oval, while they faced a five-run defeat in the 2013 edition against India in Birmingham.

4. Australia – 2

Australia are the only team to have won the competition in back-to-back editions. The Aussies reached their first final in 2006 under the leadership of Ricky Ponting. They defeated the West Indies in a one-sided contest by eight wickets to seal the trophy.

Their 2009 triumph was even more historic as despite the retirement of several legendary players, including Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, they won the tournament by defeating New Zealand in the final by six wickets.

Australia have since struggled in the competition, going winless in 2013 and 2017, and facing a semi-final exit in 2025 edition.

3. New Zealand – 3

The Kiwis have emerged as one of the most consistent teams in ICC tournaments in recent years. They have played in two Champions Trophy finals so far, where they’ve won the title once and lost once. They qualified for their third in the 2025 edition of the tournament.

They stunned India by chasing 265 runs in the final of the 2000 edition in Nairobi. Chris Cairns played one of the most remarkable knocks in tournament history, with an unbeaten 102 to steer them to a historic win.

Their campaign in the 2009 edition was less fortunate as they faced a six-wicket defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Australia in Centurion.

2. West Indies – 3

West Indies have played in three ICC Champions Trophy finals throughout the competition’s history. They faced a four-wicket defeat in the final of the inaugural season in 1998 against South Africa in Dhaka.

Their first title win came in the 2004 edition, where they defeated England in a memorable final at the Oval. Chasing 218, the Caribbeans were reduced to 147/8 before Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw stitched an unbeaten stand to win the game.

They faced an eight-wicket defeat against Australia in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy final at Brabourne.

1. India – 5

India hold the record for most ICC Champions Trophy final appearances with a tally of five. They reached the final for the first time in 2000 but suffered a four-wicket defeat against New Zealand.

Success for India came in 2002, where they were declared joint winners alongside Sri Lanka due to a rain washout in the final. The Men in Blue then reached their third final in 2013, where they defeated hosts England by five runs to clinch the trophy.

In the 2017 edition, India faced heartbreak, losing the final to arch-rivals Pakistan by a huge margin of 180 runs. They made it to their fifth Champions Trophy final in 2025.

(All stats are updated till 5th March 2025)

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