ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Australia’s Campaign: Can the Aussies Regain Glory?
Australia is the two-time winner of the ICC Champions Trophy (2006, 2009) and will begin its 2025 campaign against archrival England at Lahore on February 22. Although Australia is the most dominating team in ODI World Cup history, it could not advance past the group stages in the last two editions of the Champions Trophy, in 2013 and 2017.
With, reportedly, Steve Smith leading the side in the absence of Pat Cummins, the Australians will hope to bring an end to a 16-year title drought and reclaim their status as a force in the tournament.
Also read: 2002 ICC Champions Trophy: A Tale of Rain, Drama, and Shared Glory
Australia’s Champions Trophy History: A Mixed Bag of Success and Struggles
With both dominance and despair, Australia is yet another name added to the different familiar teams of the ICC Champions Trophy. They took the title in the back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2009, and should also be remembered for their early exits from several editions.
Australia’s Overall Record in ICC Champions Trophy (1998-2017)
- Matches Played: 24
- Matches Won: 12
- Matches Lost: 8
- No Result: 4
- Last Result: Lost to England by 40 runs (2017)
- Last Five Results: Won – 2 | Lost – 3
Australia’s Performance in Every ICC Champions Trophy Edition
| Year | Result | Most Runs | Most Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Quarterfinals | Mark Waugh (74) | Michael Kasprowicz (3) |
| 2000 | Quarterfinals | Ricky Ponting (46) | Shane Lee (2) |
| 2002 | Semifinals | Adam Gilchrist (129) | Glenn McGrath (8) |
| 2004 | Semifinals | Damien Martyn (125) | Michael Kasprowicz (7) |
| 2006 | Winner | Damien Martyn (241) | Glenn McGrath (10) |
| 2009 | Winner | Ricky Ponting (288) | Peter Siddle (6) |
| 2013 | Group Stage | Adam Voges (135) | Clint McKay (5) |
| 2017 | Group Stage | Aaron Finch (95) | Josh Hazlewood (9) |
Key Players for Australia in Champions Trophy History
Most Runs for Australia in the Champions Trophy
| Player | Matches | Runs | Avg. | S/R | Highest | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricky Ponting | 18 | 593 | 39.53 | 76.51 | 111* | 1/4 |
| Damien Martyn | 12 | 492 | 61.50 | 73.98 | 78 | 0/5 |
| Shane Watson | 17 | 453 | 41.18 | 82.81 | 136* | 2/2 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 13 | 382 | 31.83 | 94.08 | 92 | 0/2 |
| Michael Hussey | 10 | 228 | 38.00 | 69.51 | 67 | 0/2 |
Most Wickets for Australia in the Champions Trophy
| Bowler | Matches | Wickets | Econ. | Avg. | BBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brett Lee | 16 | 22 | 4.79 | 26.86 | 3/38 |
| Glenn McGrath | 12 | 21 | 4.03 | 19.61 | 5/37 |
| Shane Watson | 17 | 17 | 4.12 | 23.29 | 3/16 |
| Jason Gillespie | 7 | 12 | 3.73 | 17.41 | 4/15 |
| Mitchell Johnson | 11 | 12 | 4.66 | 33.83 | 3/40 |
Australia’s Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
With Steve Smith taking over the captaincy in the absence of Pat Cummins, Australia’s squad features a mix of experienced stars and emerging talents:
- Steve Smith (c)
- Sean Abbott
- Alex Carey
- Ben Dwarshuis
- Nathan Ellis
- Jake Fraser-McGurk
- Aaron Hardie
- Travis Head
- Josh Inglis
- Spencer Johnson
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Glenn Maxwell
- Tanveer Sangha
- Matthew Short
- Adam Zampa
The absence of key players like Mitchell Starc and Cummins leaves a void in Australia’s bowling attack, but young talents like Tanveer Sangha and Spencer Johnson could make an impact.
Australia’s Schedule for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia vs England | February 22 | Lahore | 2:30 PM |
| Australia vs South Africa | February 25 | Rawalpindi | 2:30 PM |
| Australia vs Afghanistan | February 28 | Lahore | 2:30 PM |
A strong performance in the group stage will be crucial for Australia’s hopes of making the semifinals and breaking their 16-year ICC Champions Trophy title drought.
Can Australia End Their Champions Trophy Drought?
Australia’s performances in ODI Champions Trophy have been disappointing and even below their standard expectations despite being the best in ODI cricket. Their last tournament win was in 2009, and they failed to advance from the group stage in the next two editions in 2013 and 2017.
With leadership from Smith amid his experienced players, including Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell, it could give stability to push Australia deep into the tournament.
Australia will be looking out for a strong start to the tournament with their opening match against England to establish momentum in a competitive group.
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