The game of numbers in the ICC Champions Trophy

The tournament has been played on six occasions and the ensuing one in Jun 2013 in England and Wales would be the last. The tournament was first played in 1998-99 in Bangladesh and was called Wills International Cup. It was renamed as ICC Knock out Tournament in 2000-01 and the venue was Kenya. The tournament gone yet another change in name to be called as ICC Champions Trophy in 2002-03 and was played in Sri Lanka. There is no change of name since then and it has been played in England in 2004, in India in 2006-07 and in South Africa in 2009-10. The following table shows the tournament winners

No Series/Tournament Venue Season Winner

1 Wills International Cup Bangladesh 1998/99 South Africa

2 ICC KnockOut Kenya 2000/01 New Zealand

3 ICC Champions Trophy Sri Lanks 2002/03 Shared - India/Sri Lanka

4 ICC Champions Trophy England 2004 West Indies

5 ICC Champions Trophy India 2006/07 Australia

6 ICC Champions Trophy South Africa 2009/10 Australia

Thus England becomes the only cricketing nation to host this trophy on two occasions - in 2004 and 2013

As many as 13 teams have participated in the tournament. West Indies has played most games - 21 followed by Sri Lanka which has played 20 games. Most wins have been carved is 12 games which is shared by West Indies and Australia, Most losses suffered by a team is nine and is shared by two teams - West Indies and Zimbabwe

Thus West Indies has played most games - won most games and lost most games in the tournament.

300 runs have been scored by teams on nine occasions. The highest total is 347 for 4 by New Zealand against USA at The Oval on 10.09.04. There is only one occasion of a team scoring 300 plus runs while batting second and it is credited to South Africa who scored 301 for 9 against England at Centution on 27.04.09

New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka are the three teams which have scored 300 plus runs on two occasions in the tournament. South Africa is the only team to concede 300 plus runs on two occasions. Thue South Africa is the only team in the tournament to score and concede 300 plus runs. Centurion has witnessed teams scoring 300 plus runs on most occasions - four.

There are eight occasions of a team dismissed all out for totals less than 100 run in the tournament. The lowest total is 65 by USA against Australia at Southampton on 13.09.04

Four batsmen have the honour of scoring 600 plus runs in the tournament - CH Gayle-695, SC Ganguly-665, JH Kallis-653 and R Dravid-627. CH Gayle with 695 runs to his credit has scored most runs in the tournament.

ADR Campbell of Zimbabwe with an exact hundred has earned the honour of scoring the first hundred of the tournament He made 100 against New Zealand at Dhaka on 24.10.98

HH Gibbs, SC Ganguly and CH Gayle are the three batsmen to score most hundreds in the tournament. They have scored three hundreds each

The tournament has witnessed 37 hundreds with 145 not out by NJ Astle of New Zealand against USA at The Oval on 10.09.04 as the highest individual score in the tournament. A Flower of Zimbabwe has also scored 145 against India at Col-RPS on 14.09.02

India, West Indies and Sri Lanka have scored six hundreds, South Africa has scored five, Australia, Pakistan and Engalnd - three each, New Zealand and Zimbabwe - two each and Bangladesh - one hundred totaling to 37 hundreds..

There are eleven occasions of batmen dismissed in nineties in the tournament. CH Gayle is the only batsman to be dismissed on 99 - against Bangladesh at Southampton on 15.09.04

West Indies-54 and England-51 are the two teams to score 50 plus sixes, while West Indies-416 and Sri Lanka-416and England-412~CHECK~ are the two teams to score 400 plus boundary fours. West Indies has scored most boundary fours-416 and most boundary sixes 54.

There are seven occasions of captains scoring hundreds in the tournament. SC Ganguly's 141 not out in the game between India and South Africa at Nairobi Gym on 13.10.2000 is the highest score by a captain in the tournament. He also holds the record for most hundreds by a captain in the tournament with three hundreds to his credit.

A Flower with his 145 in the game between Zimbabwe and India at Col-RPS on 14.09.02 remains the only wicket keeper to score a hundred in the tournament

The tournament has witnessed 147 occasions of a batsman scoring a duck in the tournament. Break up team wise read thus - Australia-11, Bangladesh-13, England-13, India-12, Kenya-12, Netherlands-07, New Zealand-14, Pakistan-12, South Africa-14, Sri Lanka-13, USA-05, West Indies-15 and Zimbabwe-06. West Indies holds the record for most ducks in the tournament with 15 ducks.

Of the 147 occasions of batsman scoring a duck in the tournament, there are 14 occasions of a captain failing to open their account. Habibul Bashar of Bangladesh is the only captain to suffer such an ignominy on two occasions - against Sri Lanka at Mohali on 07.10.06 and against West Indies at Jaipur on 11.10.06

By a strange coincidence, there are 14 occasions of wicket keeper batsman scoring ducks in the tournaments. KC Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and CAK Walton of West Indies are the two wicket keepers to score ducks on two occasions.

BB McCullum of New Zealand is the only wicket keeper captain to score a duck in the tournament. He failed to score against its traditional rival against Australia at Centurion on 05.10.09

There are 34 occasions of a bowler capturing four or more wickets in the tournament which include one six wicket haul and eight five wicket hauls. MF Mahroof of Sri Lanka with 6 for 14 against West Indies at Mum-BS on 14.10.06 has the best bowling figures in the tournament.

It is interesting to note that no captain has captured a four wicket haul in the tournament though three captains - SM Pollock ~CHECK~02~CHECK~, CL Hooper and DL Vettori - on four occasions have captured three wickets in the tournament.

CH Gayle with 474 runs in 2006-07 has the honour of scoring most runs in a single edition of the tournament. He has also cored most boundary fours in the tournament - 62. He is one of the three batsmen who has scored ten or more sixes in single edition of the tournament. He has scored ten sixes in 2006-07, while SC Ganguly of India holds the record for most sixes in the single edition of the tournament. He scored 12 sixes in 2000-01 edition. V Sehwag of India is the other batsman to score ten or more sixes in a single edition. He socred 11 sixes in 2009-10

India's SC Ganguly owns the record for most boundary fours and also the record for most boundary sixes in the tournament. He has scored 58 boundary fours and 15 boundary sixes in the tournament. SC Ganguly is the only batsman to score ten or more boundary sixes in the tournament. RT Ponting ~CHECK~57~CHECK~ and SP Fleming are the other two batsmen who have scored 50 plus boundary fours in the tournament.

CD McMillan of New Zealand and SR Watson of Australia are the two batsmen to score seven sixes in an innings in the tournament. CD McMillan performed the feat against USA at The Oval on 10.09.04 and SR Watson emulated him by scoring seven sixes against England at Centurion on 02.10.09

There are twelve occasions of a team winning by 100 plus runs margin which include two occasions of 200 plus runs margin wins. New Zealand's 210 runs win against USA at the Oval on 10.09.04 is the highest runs margin win in the tournament. Sri Lanka's win by 206 runs vs Netherlands at Col-RPS on 16,09.02 is the next best win and these two wins are the only 200 plus run wins in the tournament

West Indies is the only team to win without a losing a wicket in the tournament. It carved a ten wicket win against Bangladesh at Jaipur on 11.10.06.

Four teams have won the game with 200 plus balls to spare in the tournament. Australia's win by nine wickets with 253 balls to spare is the largest win by balls remaining in the second innings in the entire tournament. Other three occasions are - Sri Lanka won by nine wickets with 220 balls to spare against West Indies at Mum-BS on 14,10.06 : West Indies won by nine wickets with 214 balls to spare against Zimbabwe at Ahmedabad on 08.10.06 and Pakistan won by 202 runs with 202 balls to spare against Zimbabwe at Col-CCC on 21.09.02. Apart from the above four occasions, there are eight more occasions of a team winning a game with 100 plus balls to spare in the tournament.

The smallest margin of victory in terms of runs is ten runs which has been achieved by two teams - India won by ten runs against South Africa at Col-RPS ON 25.09.02 and West Indies won against Australia by ten runs at Mum-BS on 18.10.06

The smallest margin of victory in terms of wickets is two runs which has been achieved by three teams - South Africa won by two wickets against West Indies at Col-SSC on 13.09.02, West Indies won by two wickets vs England at The Oval on 25.09.04 and Australia won by two wickets against Pakistan at Centurion on 30.09.09

There are three occasions of a team winning a game on the last ball of the match - New Zealand won by five wickets vs Zimbabwe at Dhaka on 24.10.98 : South Africa won by two wickets against West Indies at Col-SSC on 13.09.02 and Australia won by two wickets against Pakistan at Centurion on 30.09.09.

M Muralitharan-24, KD Mills-22 and B Lee-22, GD McGrath-21 and JH Kallis-20 are the five bowlers who have captured 20 plus wickets in the tournament. M Muralitharan with 24 wickets holds the record for most wickets in the tournament.

DJ Hondo of Zimbabwe, M Dillon of West Indies and M Muralitharan of Sri Lanka are the three bowlers who have captured four or more wicket son two occasions in the tournament.

Saeed Anwar of Pakistan, SC Ganguly of India and WU Tharanga of Sri Lanka are the three batsmen who have scored back to back hundreds in the tournament.

The tournament has witnessed three occasions of two batsmen scoring hundreds in the same innings - V Sehwag-126 and SC Ganguly-117 not out~CHECK~ - India vs England at Col-RPS on 22.09.02 : CH Gayle-101 and DJ Bravo-112 not out - West Indies vs England at Motera, Ahmedabad on 28.10.06 and SR Watson-136 and RT Ponting-111 not out - Australia vs England at Centurion on 02.10.09. Interestingly in all these three occasions, England is the team which has conceded hundreds to two batsmen!!!

Three bowlers have conceded 80 plus runs in an innings in the tournament - T Panyangara of Zimbabwe - 10.0-0-86-1 vs England at Birmingham on 10.09.04 : SL Malinga of Sri Lanka - 10.0-0-85-1 vs New Zealand at Johannesburg on 27.09.09 and SE Bond of New Zealand - 9.0-0-82-0 vs Sri Lanka at Johannesburg on 27.09.09.

SE Bond has conceded 80 plus runs without capturing a wicket in the tournament which represents the most expensive bowling figures without a wicket in the tournament. He returned with figures of 9.0-0-82-0 vs Sri Lanka at Johannesburg on 27.09.09.

T Panyangara of Zimbabwe has the ignominy of conceding most runs in an inning in the tournament. - He returned with figures of 10.0-0-86-1 vs England at Birmingham on 10.09.04

The only occasion of rival bowlers conceding 80 plus runs was witnessed in the tournament in the game between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at Johannesburg on 27.09.09. SL Malinga of Sri Lanka returned with figures of 10.0-0-85-1 while SE Bond of New Zealand returned with figures of 9.0-0-82-0.


KC Sangakkara of Sri Lanka - vs Netherlands at Colombo-RPS On 16.09.02 : AC Gilchrist of Australia - vs England at Jaipur on 21.10.06 and TD Paine of Sri Lanka - vs England at Centurion on 02.10.09 are the three wicket keepers who have effected five dismissals in an innings in the tournament.

AC Gilchrist of Australia - vs England at Jaipur on 21.10.06 and TD Paine of Sri Lanka - vs England at Centurion on 02.10.09 are the two wicket keepers who have pouched five catches in an innings in the tournament.

KC Sangakkara of Sri Lanka owns the record for most dismissals in a single edition of the tournament. He effected 15 dismissals in 2006-07 edition ~CHECK~13 catches and 02 stumpings~CHECK~. His 13 catches in this edition is a record for most catches in a single edition

DPMD Jayawardene of Sri Lanka with 13 catches to his credit holds the record for most catches by a fieldsman in the tournament. SC Ganguly ~CHECK~12~CHECK~ is the other fieldsman to pouch ten or more catches. LRPL Taylor of New Zealand and DJ Bravo of West Indies with nine catches are close behind to join this club who have pouched ten or more catches.

The tournament has witnessed eleven occasions of fieldsmen taking exact three catches in an innings. LRPL Taylor of New Zealand and JP Duminy of South Africa taking three catches on two occasions.

LRPL Taylor of New Zealand holds the record for most catches in a single edition. He held nine catches in 2009-10 edition.

SR Watson and RT Ponting added 252 runs in an unfinished stand for the second wicket in the game between Australia and England at Centurion on 02.10.09. This stand represents the highest partnership in the tournament and also provides the second occasion of a 200 plus runs partnership in the tournament. The other occasion was the 206 runs stand for the fourth wicket between Pakistan's Shoaib Malik and Mohd Yousuf against India at Centurion on 26.09.09. It is interesting to note that these two 200 plus runs partnerships came in 2009-10 edition.

The tournament has witnessed 55 three figure partnerships - Team wise break up read thus - NZL - 09 : SAF - 08 : Srl - 08 : Aus - 07 : Eng - 07 : Ind - 07 : Win - 06 : Pak - 02 and Zim - 01

Wicket wise break up read this - 1st - 10 : 2nd - 12 : 3rd - 10 : 4th - 11 : 5th - 05 : 6th - 05 and 7th - 02

ST Jayasuriya has played most matches in the tournament followed by R Dravid-19, DPMD Jayawardene-18~CHECK~, BC Lara-18, RT Ponting-18 and KC Sangakkara-18. DPMD Jayawardene and KC Sangakkara have the opportunities of becoming the most capped cricketer of the tournament. Both need three game to go ahead of ST Jayasuriya