ICC Champions Trophy 2013: India's Second Title — Dhoni's Unbeaten Campaign at Edgbaston
The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 (eighth edition) was hosted in England from 6 to 23 June 2013. India defeated England by 5 runs (D/L method) in the final at Edgbaston, Birmingham on 23 June 2013. England were set 130 runs from 20 overs; when rain intervened, they needed 129 from 20 overs on D/L and finished on 124/8 — 5 runs short. India scored 129/7 in the final (Shikhar Dhawan 31, MS Dhoni 31*). India went unbeaten through the entire tournament. MS Dhoni was Player of the Tournament. Shikhar Dhawan scored 363 tournament runs — the most by any batsman, earning him Player of the Tournament alongside Dhoni. India beat Pakistan by 8 wickets in the group stage. The 2013 CT was the last ICC Champions Trophy held before the format was discontinued (revived in 2025).
The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 was the eighth edition, hosted in England from 6 to 23 June 2013. Eight teams participated. India defeated England by 5 runs (D/L method) in the final at Edgbaston, Birmingham on 23 June 2013 — India's second Champions Trophy title (first was 2002 joint title with Sri Lanka). India went unbeaten through the tournament.
Shikhar Dhawan's 363 Runs and India's Tournament Dominance
India's tournament was anchored by Shikhar Dhawan's batting: he scored 363 runs in five matches at 90.75 — the most by any batsman, earning him Player of the Tournament. His key innings included 114 vs South Africa in the group stage (his maiden ODI century in England) and 68 vs Sri Lanka in the semi-final. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli provided support throughout; India chased every total they set themselves in the knockout stages. MS Dhoni scored 31* in the final and was Player of the Tournament for his leadership. India beat Pakistan in the group stage by 8 wickets — Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja taking key wickets.
The Final: Rain, Duckworth-Lewis, and 5 Runs
India batted first in the final at Edgbaston and scored 129/7 from 50 overs — a below-par total. England were set 130 to win from 20 overs (the match reduced by rain before England's innings). When rain interrupted England's chase, D/L recalculated the target; England needed 129 from 20 overs. England were 124/8 when play ended — 5 runs short of the revised target. Ishant Sharma (2/28) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/33) bowled superbly. India's win ended their ICC title drought: they had not won an ICC event since the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The 2013 CT was the last edition before the format was discontinued, revived only in 2025.
Frequently asked questions
How did India win the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy final against England when they scored only 129/7 — a score most teams would consider below par in any condition?
India's victory in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy Final at Edgbaston despite scoring only 129/7 is one of the more unusual outcomes in modern ICC final history, explained by the intersection of rain intervention and format rules. The first innings context: India batted in deteriorating conditions — Edgbaston in June, overcast, humid, English summer. The pitch offered movement throughout, and India's 129/7 from 50 overs reflected genuine difficulty rather than poor batting; England's top-order batsmen in that era (Cook, Bell, Root) were considered strong enough to chase 130 in 50 overs in any conditions. The D/L impact: rain interrupted before England began their chase, reducing their allocation to 20 overs with a revised target of 129 (near-identical number but compressed from 50 to 20 overs — a dramatically higher run-rate requirement). Chasing 129 in 20 overs requires 6.45 per over from the start; England's best ODI/T20 players in that era were capable of this but it was not trivial. India's bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma exploited the seaming conditions, and Ravindra Jadeja provided control. England lost wickets consistently — 124/8 is not a batting collapse, but a sustained bowling performance. England needed 5 runs from final delivery; MS Dhoni's field placement kept the boundary out. The analytical point: the match outcome highlights how D/L rain rules can transform a match — had England had all 50 overs, 130 was likely achievable; compressed to 20 overs with wet outfield and late pressure, it was not.