For a bowling side, it’s quite hard to defend below-par scores in limited-overs cricket. The opposition batters like to finish things off quickly during the chase.
But there have been instances when the bowling side captain made strategic changes to shift the pressure to the opponent. And this resulted in their team securing narrow victories.
The Champions Trophy has seen a few instances of teams winning matches despite putting low scores.
On that note, let’s see the top 10 lowest totals successfully defended in the Champions Trophy.
Lowest Totals Defended in Champions Trophy
| Total | Winning Team | Opposition | Opposition Total | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 129/7 (20.0) | India | England | 124/8 (20.0) | Birmingham | 2013 |
| 169/10 (23.3) | England | New Zealand | 159/8 (24.0) | Cardiff | 2013 |
| 195/10 (45.4) | New Zealand | South Africa | 108/10 (34.1) | Mumbai | 2006 |
| 213/8 (50.0) | South Africa | Pakistan | 89/10 (25.0) | Mohali | 2006 |
| 219/9 (50.0) | South Africa | Sri Lanka | 141/10 (39.1) | Ahmedabad | 2006 |
| 231/6 (50.0) | Bangladesh | Zimbabwe | 130/10 (44.4) | Jaipur | 2006 |
| 234/6 (50.0) | West Indies | Australia | 224/9 (50.0) | Mumbai | 2006 |
| 234/9 (50.0) | South Africa | Pakistan | 167/10 (45.0) | Birmingham | 2013 |
| 240/7 (39.0) | South Africa | Sri Lanka | 132/10 (23.4) | Dhaka | 1998 |
| 240/9 (50.0) | Australia | New Zealand | 206/10 (46.0) | Mohali | 2006 |
More Champions Trophy Stats
Highest Individual Scores in CT
Most Sixes in a Single Innings by a Team in CT
Highest Targets Successfully Defended in CT
Highest Totals Successfully Chased in CT
Most Runs in a Single CT Edition
Most Sixes in a Single CT Edition
Key Insights
129: India holds the record for successfully defending the lowest total in the Champions Trophy. Although it wasn’t a full 50-over game, India held their nerves in the 2013 final reduced to 20 overs per side. India first put up 129 for 7 in 20 overs and then restricted England’s innings to 124 for 8.
1: India is the only team to defend a score of 150 or fewer runs in a Champions Trophy knockout match.
195: In a full 50-over match, though, New Zealand has defended the lowest score. They mustered 195 runs before South Africa bowled them out. Then New Zealand wrapped up South Africa’s innings for 108 runs. Find out the same record for the overall ODI matches.
4: India, England, and New Zealand are the only three teams that have defended below 200 totals in the Champions Trophy. South Africa, though, have defended below 250 scores four times, the most by any team.
2: New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have failed to chase below 250 targets twice each in CT.
Read: Indian Players to Play 100 Tests and 100 ODIs
