Unexpected Yet Essential—What you must know about the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 for the UPSC Exam
Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today.
Knowledge Nugget: ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Subject: Sports
(Relevance: Given the unpredictability of the UPSC CSE and past questions like the ICC World Test Championship in Prelims 2021, aspirants should pay attention to major sports events. While an in-depth study is not necessary, having a basic understanding of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and key details can be beneficial for the exam.)
Why in the news?
India on Sunday ended a 12-year wait to clinch a record-extending third Champions Trophy title, beating New Zealand by 4 wickets in the Champions Trophy 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The win helped India break the tie with Australia with a record third Champions Trophy title, adding onto the wins in 2002 (shared with Sri Lanka) and 2013.
Key Takeaways :
1. The tournament was originally called the ICC Knockout when it began in 1998 in Dhaka (Bangladesh). It was renamed the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and was held every two years until 2009. After that, the event transitioned to a four-year cycle.
2. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 kicked off at the National Stadium in Karachi on February 19, with Pakistan taking on New Zealand. India, who were the runners-up from 2017 and two-time winners, played their first game on February 20 against Bangladesh in Dubai.
3. Tournament format: The format of the competition has endured since 2006. The eight teams are divided into two groups of four teams each. Each team plays once against every other team in the group. And then, the top-two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals, determining the two that feature in the summit clash.
4. Teams that played: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand were in Group A while the remaining four teams — Australia, Afghanistan, England, South Africa — were in group B.
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How were the 8 teams Picked? What made this year’s selection different?
Previously the top-eight ranked ODI sides would feature in the Champions Trophy. But for the 2025 edition, the qualification used the results of the 2023 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The teams that occupied the top-eight spots in the 10-team points table, including the hosts Pakistan, sealed their place for the Champions Trophy.
Prize money
The eight teams at this year’s Champions Trophy competed for $2.24 million. The runners-up received $1.12 million, while each losing semi-finalist took home $560,000. The total prize pool had increased by 53 percent from the 2017 edition, reaching $6.9 million.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: Duckworth-Lewis method (DLS)
1. Statistician Frank Duckworth, who co-created the Duckworth-Lewis method with Tony Lewis, passed away on June 21, 2024. This method was first used in international cricket in 1997 and was fully adopted by the ICC in 1999.
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2. In 2014, it was updated by Australian statistician Steven Stern and renamed the DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method.
3. The DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method is used to fairly determine results and set revised targets in rain-truncated matches. When rain interrupts a cricket match, leading to a reduction in overs, or if rain disrupts the second innings, this method calculates the chasing team’s revised target.
4. The method converts all possible combinations of balls and wickets in hand to a combined “resources remaining” figure, which is expressed in percentage — full 50 overs, and 10 wickets in hand means 100% resources available.
Post Read Questions
(1) Consider the following statements in respect of the ICC World Test Championship: (UPSC CSE 2021)
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1. The finalists were decided by the number of matches they won.
2. New Zealand was ranked ahead of England because it won more matches than England.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
(2) Consider the following statements in respect of the Laureus World Sports Award which was instituted in the year 2000: (UPSC CSE 2021)
1. American golfer Tiger Woods was the first winner of this award.
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2. The award was received mostly by ‘Formula One’ players so far.
3. Roger Federer received this award maximum number of times compared to others.
Which of the above statements are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Read More:
India win Champions Trophy 2025
ICC Champions Trophy ultimate guide: Everything you need to know about mega event
Frank Duckworth dies: How his DLS method works
🚨Union Budget 2025 special: Click Here to read the February 2025 issue of the UPSC Essentials monthly magazine. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨
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