*25th Feb, 2025* *News of the Day* *Champions Trophy is being held after a gap of 8 years* *Introduction* The Champions Trophy went dormant for eight years, to return only this year with Pakistan as the host (Matches of India are being hosted at Dubai). Why was the Champions Trophy discontinued for eight years, and why has it come back? *History* The Champions Trophy was earlier known as the ICC Knockout, when it was staged in Dhaka in its 1998 debut. The next edition was in 2000 in Kenya. The event was renamed the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 and was held every two years until 2009. Subsequently the event moved to a four-year cycle and features the top eight teams in the ICC one-day rankings. The last edition took place in 2017. *Fluctuating fortunes* The goals of the event had been to take cricket to new countries — which explains the first two editions in Bangladesh and Kenya. However, the Kenya event proved that fans would shell out money for tickets only in the few countries where cricket was already popular. Then in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) exploded onto the cricketing world, and the Champions Trophy went from being a two-year to a four-year event, until it was stopped entirely after 2017. *Why ICC Men’s Champions Trophy is back* Experts believe that there are two main reasons for bringing back the Champions Trophy — the need for a big-ticket event in years that don’t have the T20 or the ODI World Cup, and India’s refusal to play Pakistan in non-ICC events. Champions Trophy tournaments are scheduled for 2025 and 2029. The next year, 2026, has the T20 World Cup, which is held every two years, while the ODI World Cup is in 2027, four years after the 2023 edition. India and Pakistan matches remain the most eagerly watched cricket clashes, and because India does not play Pakistan in bilaterals anymore, ICC tournaments are the only opportunity for fans to watch this high-intensity spectacle. *Download the Complete Daily Current Affairs Pdf* https://www.prepmate.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/News-Juice-25th-February-2025.pdf