Five lesser known facts about the Champions Trophy

Anomalies do exist

Champions Trophy remains the only ICC event where Pakistan has managed to beat India. India has met Pakistan thrice and lost on two occasions. But India has won the latest encounter in 2013.

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Champions Trophy is the only multination ICC tournament South Africa has ever won. South Africa won the inaugural edition of the tournament held in Kenya in 1998. They have been unable to win the ICC World Cup or the T20 World Cup.

England, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, the full members of ICC, have never won the title. England are the only team to have made the final twice without winning a title. The English side made it to the summit clash in 2004 and 2013.

Up to 2006, the Champions Trophy was held every two years. The 2008 Champions Trophy which was supposed to be held in Pakistan moved to South Africa in 2009 due to security reasons. From then on it is held every four years like the World Cup.

The Fighting Arenas

The Champions Trophy 2017 matches will take place at three grounds across England and Wales over the first half of June – The Oval in London, Edgbaston in Birmingham and the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales.

The Kia Oval in Kennington is one of the most iconic cricket grounds in the world. Formed in 1945, it is a home ground of the Surrey County Cricket club. It was at the Oval that Don Bradman made that fateful duck in his final test innings in 1948.

Edgbaston is home to the Warwickshire County Cricket Club since 1894 and is considered as the best ground in England. Interestingly, India has happy memories of the ground as they have recorded a five-run victory over England in the rain-curtailed final of the 2013 Champions Trophy. This venue also witnessed the scene of Brian Lara’s world record of 501 not out in 1994 for Warwickshire against Durham.

The Sophia Gardens in Cardiff is the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club since 1995 when they signed a 125-year lease to make it their permanent base. One of the most famous matches it hosted was when Bangladesh upset the mighty Australians by five wickets in the 2005 NatWest series. Bangladesh would be raring to make some impact here in this tournament as they are making a comeback after 2006 at the expense of West Indies.