India-Pakistan Match: Why the Champions Trophy is being held after a gap of 8 years

Why was the Champions Trophy discontinued for eight years, and why has it come back? We explain.

First, a short history

As the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) website says, the Champions Trophy was earlier known as the ICC Knockout, when it was staged in Dhaka in its 1998 debut, and then in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2000.

“The event was renamed the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and was held every two years until 2009 (when it was held in South Africa after the scheduled event in 2008 in Pakistan had to be cancelled). Subsequently the event moved to a four-year cycle and features the top eight teams in the ICC one-day rankings,” the ICC website says.

After Bangladesh and Kenya, subsequent editions were held in Sri Lanka, England, India, South Africa, and England and Wales again for the last two tournaments of 2013 and 2017.

Fluctuating fortunes

As a tournament, the Champions Trophy has not had the best run. While it has given cricket lovers some great sporting moments, its aims as a sporting event have not always been felicitously met.

The goals of the event had been to take cricket to new countries — which explains the first two editions in Bangladesh and Kenya — and of course to make money. However, the Kenya event proved that fans would shell out money for tickets only in the few countries where cricket was already popular. Even there, poor scheduling, often around monsoons, and a long tournament coming around the time of the World Cup led to questions and frustrations.

Then in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) exploded onto the cricketing world, and the Champions Trophy went from being a two-year to a four-year event, until it was stopped entirely after 2017.

Why ICC Men’s Champions Trophy is back

“The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 represents a pivotal moment for cricket, reviving a tournament that highlights the pinnacle of ODI talent, where every match is critical,” ICC chairman Jay Shah said earlier this month. “The substantial prize pot underscores the ICC’s ongoing commitment to investing in the sport and maintaining the global prestige of our events. Beyond the financial incentive, this tournament ignites fierce competition, captivates fans worldwide, and plays a vital role in fostering the growth and long-term sustainability of cricket for future generations.”

Experts believe that there are two main reasons for bringing back the Champions Trophy — the need for a big-ticket event in years that don’t have the T20 or the ODI World Cup, and India’s refusal to play Pakistan in non-ICC events.

Champions Trophy tournaments are scheduled for 2025 and 2029. The next year, 2026, has the T20 World Cup, which is held every two years, while the ODI World Cup is in 2027, four years after the 2023 edition.

India and Pakistan matches remain the most eagerly watched cricket clashes, and because India does not play Pakistan in bilaterals anymore, ICC tournaments are the only opportunity for fans to watch this high-intensity spectacle.

What is the prize money this time?

The total prize pool has been increased by 53 per cent from the 2017 edition. The prize pool is whopping Rs 59.9 crore ($6.9 million).

The winner of the eight-team tournament will get earn Rs 19.50 crore ($2.24 million). The runner-up will receive Rs 9.72 crore ($1.12 million), while the losing semifinalist will get Rs 4.86 crore ($560,000) each. All eight teams are assured of $125,000 (Rs 1.08 crores) each for competing in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.