The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to be held from February 19 to March 9, 2025, across Pakistan and the UAE. The eight participating teams will be split into two groups, A and B, with four teams in each group. Every team will play three matches against the other teams in their respective groups. In total, the tournament will comprise 15 matches, including 12 group-stage games, two semifinals, and the final.
Matches in Pakistan will be held at three venues: National Bank Stadium in Karachi, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai will also host select fixtures in the UAE. The first semi-final is scheduled to be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with the second semi-final taking place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. If India secures a spot in the final, the match will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. If not, the final will be hosted at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, as per ICC's official website.
Who has the highest opening partnership in ICC Champions Trophy?
According to ESPN Cricinfo, The highest opening partnership in ICC Champions Trophy history was between Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly, who put together a stand of 192 runs for the first wicket, as of February 2025. This record was set during the 11th match of the 2002 Champions Trophy, held on September 22 at the R Premadasa Stadium (RPS) in Colombo, where India faced England.
England won the toss and elected to bat first. They posted a total of 269/7 in 50 overs. Nick Knight contributed 50 runs from 70 balls, while Ian Blackwell top-scored with 80 runs off 68 balls, helping England reach a competitive total. In response, Indian openers, Sehwag and the skipper Ganguly, quickly seized control of the chase. Their partnership of 192 put India firmly in the driver's seat. Sehwag was dismissed for 126 off 104 balls as India neared the target, but by then, the match was already well in their favor. India completed the chase in 39.3 overs, winning by 8 wickets, with Ganguly finishing on 117 off 109 balls and Tendulkar unbeaten on 9 off 20 balls. Sehwag’s brilliant knock earned him the Player of the Match award.
List of top-10 highest opening partnerships in the ICC Champions Trophy
Below is the list of the top 10 highest opening partnerships in the ICC Champions Trophy, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo:
| Date | Partners | Runs | Team | Opponent | Ground |
| September 22, 2002 | Virender Sehwag & Sourav Ganguly | 192 | India | England | Colombo (RPS) |
| September 15, 2004 | Wavell Hinds & Chris Gayle | 192 | West Indies | Bangladesh | Southampton |
| October 11, 2006 | Chris Gayle & Shivnarine Chanderpaul | 164 | West Indies | Bangladesh | Jaipur |
| September 20, 2002 | Graeme Smith & Herschelle Gibbs | 159 | South Africa | Kenya | Colombo (RPS) |
| November 2, 2006 | Chris Gayle & Shivanrine Chanderpaul | 154 | West Indies | South Africa | Jaipur |
| October 15, 2000 | Sachin Tendulkar & Sourav Ganguly | 141 | India | New Zealand | Nairobi (GYM) |
| June 8, 2017 | Rohit Sharma & Shikhar Dhawan | 138 | India | Sri Lanka | The Oval |
| June 4, 2017 | Rohit Sharma & Shikhar Dhawan | 136 | India | Pakistan | Birmingham |
| June 18, 2017 | Fakhar Zaman & Azhar Ali | 128 | Pakistan | India | The Oval |
| June 6, 2013 | Rohit Sharma & Shikhar Dhawan | 127 | India | South Africa | Cardiff |
FAQs on ICC Champions Trophy
A. Australia and India are the two most successful teams winning the Champions Trophy twice.
A. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene set the record for the highest partnership in Test cricket, putting up a remarkable 624 runs together, as per ESPN Cricinfo.
A. As of February 2025, the highest individual score in Indian Premier League (IPL) history is held by Chris Gayle, who scored an unbeaten 175 runs off 66 balls for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India on April 23, 2013 as per ESPN Cricinfo.
![Ruturaj Gaikwad is undone by extra bounce and perishes for a duck to Josh Hazlewood in CSK vs RCB IPL 2025 match [Watch]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/03/abeeb-17431796152057-1920.jpg?h=166)
