The anticipation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, hosted in Pakistan, was palpable among cricket fans. However, the dream of witnessing the national team’s triumph on home soil was quickly dashed as the team failed to secure a single victory. With the World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024 already behind, the Pakistani team faced early elimination, finishing at the bottom of their group and consequently receiving the least prize money from the tournament.
No Victories in the Tournament
After a wait of 29 long years, Pakistan finally hosted a significant cricket tournament—the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Commencing on November 19, the tournament featured eight teams, with Pakistan placed in Group A alongside New Zealand, India, and Bangladesh. Under the captaincy of Mohammad Rizwan, the home team suffered a crushing defeat in their opening match against New Zealand and subsequently faced another loss against India, sealing their fate in the tournament.
Although eliminated before the conclusion of the group stage, Pakistan had a sliver of hope to end the tournament with a victory in their final match against Bangladesh. Unfortunately, rain intervened, resulting in a match abandonment, with both teams earning a point. Despite this, Pakistan concluded the group stage in the last position, lower than Bangladesh, due to a poorer net run rate. This ensured that Pakistan’s finish among the last two teams was confirmed.
Receiving the Least Prize Money
In implications for the prize money distribution, if England manages to secure a win in their final match, they would place sixth, while Bangladesh would finish seventh, and Pakistan would close the table at eighth. However, if England loses, Pakistan could ascend to seventh place, relegating England to the bottom. Regardless of the outcome, Pakistan will receive a monetary reward from the ICC.
According to the ICC’s prize money structure, teams finishing in the seventh and eighth positions will earn approximately ₹1.22 crores. Since Pakistan is guaranteed to land in the last two positions, they will return home with the least amount of ₹1.22 crores. Furthermore, each participating team is entitled to a base participation fee of around ₹1.10 crores, totaling around ₹2.32 crores (INR) for the Pakistani team from this tournament.
Prize Distribution for the Champion Team
Speaking of the rewards for the victorious team, the final match set to occur on March 9 will award the winning team with a staggering ₹19.5 crores, in addition to the participation fee of ₹1.10 crores. Therefore, the champion team will leave with approximately ₹20.6 crores in total. The runner-up team is also in for a substantial amount, expected to receive around ₹9.75 crores along with their participation fee, leading to a total of ₹10.85 crores.
This evolving scenario of prize distribution and the contrasting fortunes between participating teams spotlight not only the competitive nature of international cricket but also the financial implications surrounding significant tournaments like the ICC Champions Trophy. The disappointing performance of the Pakistan team serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of sports and the harsh realities of competitive play.