On This Day: India Clinches ICC Champions Trophy with Thrilling 5-Run Win Over England

One of the most memorable moments came on 23rd June 2013, when India lifted the ICC Champions Trophy and in a rain-hit final at Edgbaston, India managed to defend a modest total of 129 runs against a strong England side that had dominated the tournament. Dhoni’s calm leadership and India’s spirited bowling display turned the game around, sealing a thrilling 5-run win and etching the victory into cricket history.

India vs England: June 23, 2013

The stage was set for a thrilling clash at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 23, 2013, as India took on England in the ICC Champions Trophy final. Rain shortened the game to 20 overs per side, but the excitement remained sky-high. India scored 129/7, with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja leading the way, while England managed 124/8, falling five runs short. Jadeja’s all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award. Shikhar Dhawan’s 363 runs in the tournament made him the Player of the Series. Played under floodlights, this match was full of tension and close moments.

India’s batting effort in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy final was a story of early challenges, a middle-order wobble, and a late fightback. England won the toss and chose to bowl first in the rain-reduced 20-over game, putting India on a tricky pitch under cloudy skies. India reached 129/7, thanks to steady knocks from Virat Kohli and a crucial unbeaten 33 from Ravindra Jadeja.

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan opened the batting, aiming to give India a strong start. England’s bowlers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, kept things tight, making scoring tough. Rohit scored 9 off 14 balls before Broad got him out in the fourth over, caught behind after a loose shot. India were 19/1, and the early wicket brought Virat Kohli to the crease. Dhawan, in top form throughout the tournament, played some bold shots, hitting two fours and a six to make 31 off 24 balls. Just as India looked to build, Ravi Bopara struck in the ninth over, with Dhawan caught by James Tredwell.

At 50/2, India needed a partnership. Kohli took charge, playing with calm and skill to score 43 off 34 balls, including four fours and a six. He kept the runs flowing despite rain stopping play twice, first at 28/1 in the sixth over and then at 38/1. Dinesh Karthik joined Kohli but struggled, scoring 6 off 11 balls before Tredwell had him caught by Eoin Morgan in the 12th over. India were 64/3, and the pressure was on. Things got worse when Suresh Raina, expected to hit big, scored just 1 off 6 balls before getting caught by Alastair Cook off Bopara. In the same over, captain MS Dhoni fell for a duck, caught by Tredwell, leaving India at 66/5 after 13 overs.

With the innings in trouble, Kohli and Jadeja fought back. Their 47-run stand for the sixth wicket was vital, pushing India past 100 in the 18th over. Kohli’s classy knock ended when Anderson had him caught by Bopara for 43, making it 113/6. Ravichandran Ashwin was run out for 1, but Jadeja stayed strong. His unbeaten 33 off 25 balls, with two fours and two sixes, gave India a boost. Jadeja smashed 16 runs in the final over off Tim Bresnan, lifting India to 129/7. Bhuvneshwar Kumar added an unbeaten 1 off 1 ball to see out the innings. England’s bowlers did well to keep India in check. Bopara was the star, taking 3/20 in four overs, including a maiden.

Anderson and Broad each took one wicket, while Tredwell’s 1/25 added pressure. Bresnan went for 34 runs without a wicket. England’s fielders were sharp, with Tredwell grabbing two catches and Morgan holding one. India’s powerplay produced only 19 runs for one wicket, showing how tough it was to score early. The batting powerplay (overs 16-18) added 20 runs without losing a wicket. Kohli’s steady hand and Jadeja’s late hitting gave India a total that felt defendable on a slow pitch in a high-stakes final.

England’s chase of 130 in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy final was full of drama, with early losses, a strong fightback, and a tense finish. Needing 130 in 20 overs, England’s experienced batters started well but struggled against India’s bowlers, especially the spinners. A 64-run stand between Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara kept them in the game, but England ended at 124/8, five runs shy of victory.

England’s innings got off to a shaky start when captain Alastair Cook was out for 2 off 9 balls in the second over, caught by Ravichandran Ashwin off Umesh Yadav. At 3/1, India’s pacers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yadav, bowled tightly. Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott settled things, taking England to 28/1 in the fifth over. Trott hit 20 off 17 balls, with two fours, but Ashwin got him stumped by MS Dhoni in the sixth over. Joe Root came in but scored only 7 off 9 balls before Ashwin struck again, with Ishant Sharma taking the catch. At 40/3 in the eighth over, England were in trouble.

Bell fell for 13 off 16 balls, stumped by Dhoni off Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth over, leaving England at 46/4 and with the run rate climbing, Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara took on the challenge. Their 64-run partnership off 47 balls brought England back into the contest. Morgan scored 33 off 30 balls, hitting three fours and a six. Bopara made 30 off 25 balls with two sixes. They pushed England past 100 in the 17th over, needing 30 runs off the last three overs.

The game turned in the 18th over, bowled by Ishant Sharma. Morgan skied a catch to Ashwin and was dismissed for 33 runs off 30 balls. Bopara was caught by the same fielder off the next ball. Sharma’s two wickets left England at 110/6, needing 20 runs off 15 balls. Jadeja then bowled Jos Buttler for a duck in the 19th over, and Tim Bresnan was run out for 2 off 4 balls, making it 113/8. Stuart Broad (7* off 5) and James Tredwell (5* off 4) tried hard in the final over to get the 14 runs, but R Ashwin bowled well, giving away just 9 runs. England finished at 124/8, falling short by five runs.

India’s bowlers shared the wickets and Jadeja took 2/24, Ashwin grabbed 2/15, and Ishant Sharma’s 2/36 was crucial. Yadav took 1/10, and Kumar’s 0/19 was tidy and Suresh Raina’s 0/19 with his part-time spin added pressure. Dhoni’s two stumpings and Ashwin’s three catches showed India’s sharp fielding. England’s powerplay yielded 24 runs for one wicket, but their last batting powerplay (overs 18-20) produced only 13 runs for two wickets, showing their late struggle and Morgan and Bopara’s stand gave England hope, but India’s bowlers stayed calm in the final overs.

The five-run defeat left England disappointed in their home final, while India celebrated a hard-fought win. Jadeja’s all-round effort and Ashwin’s tight bowling were key, with India defending their total smartly and the match was a classic, decided by small moments, and India’s ability to handle pressure made the difference.