ICC Champions Trophy 2002: India and Sri Lanka Share the Title — The Rained-Out Final
The ICC Champions Trophy 2002 was the fourth edition, hosted in Sri Lanka from 12 September to 29 September 2002. India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners after the final at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 28–29 September 2002 was rained out on both days — the reserve day. India scored 38/1 in 8.4 overs (reduced match) and Sri Lanka scored 244/5 (Marvan Atapattu 103*) before the rain intervened. As neither team could complete their innings on a reduced target, the match was declared a tie and both teams were given the trophy. This remains the only time in ICC tournament history that two teams have shared a major title. Sachin Tendulkar was the Player of the Tournament (most runs in the group stage). Pakistan and Australia had won the previous two editions (2000, 2002 initially scheduled as 1998).
The ICC Champions Trophy 2002 was the fourth edition, hosted in Sri Lanka from 12 to 29 September 2002. Ten teams played in two groups followed by semi-finals and a final. India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners after the final at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo was abandoned due to rain — this remains the only time in ICC major tournament history that two teams have shared a title.
The Final: Two Days of Rain, No Result
Sri Lanka batted first in the scheduled final on 28 September and scored 244/5 from 50 overs — Marvan Atapattu 103* from 134 balls providing the core of the innings. India's chase began: Sachin Tendulkar (Virendra Sehwag's opening partner) fell early; Sourav Ganguly was batting when rain stopped play with India at 38/1 from 8.4 overs. The match was not completed on 28 September. The reserve day, 29 September, was also washed out entirely — no play was possible at any stage. The ICC awarded the trophy jointly to both teams. India and Sri Lanka both received winners' medals; the ICC trophy itself was given to both teams.
The Tournament Context: Sri Lanka's Hosting and India's Progress
The 2002 ICC Champions Trophy was notable for several reasons beyond the final. It was played in Sri Lanka — a country that had won the 1996 World Cup — in the post-civil-conflict era, allowing international cricket to return to the country in a major format. Sachin Tendulkar's tournament included some of his most consistent ODI batting of the era; his Player of the Tournament award reflected his group-stage performances rather than a final showing. The tournament was also notable for the absence of West Indies (eliminated in the group stage) and the presence of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh (who were competitive at this stage of their ICC development). Pakistan, who had won the 2000 edition, were eliminated in the semi-finals.
Frequently asked questions
What are the ICC rules for determining a winner when a major final is rained out, and how did the 2002 Champions Trophy shared title change those rules?
The 2002 ICC Champions Trophy was the last major ICC final to be decided by a joint award. After 2002, ICC regulations were changed to require extended reserve days for finals — now typically two additional reserve days, plus a Super Over resolution mechanism — to ensure that finals produce an outright winner. The pre-2002 rules: if a final was not completed on the scheduled day and the reserve day, the teams shared the trophy. This was considered acceptable in 1998 and 2000 (when it was never triggered) but was seen as an unsatisfactory outcome in 2002, particularly because the Sri Lanka vs India final had seen competitive cricket (Atapattu's 103* was a full-length innings). The argument for a joint award: cricket is uniquely exposed to weather; neither team can be penalised for rain. The argument against: a World Cup or Champions Trophy Final should produce a champion. After 2002, ICC implemented the reserve day rule requiring at least one complete innings, and eventually the Super Over mechanism (used in T20 matches) was extended to 50-over finals. The 2002 shared title is thus a historical anomaly — the only example of two ICC major tournament winners in the same event — but also the regulatory catalyst that ensured it could never happen again.