India lost the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, continuing the ICC trophy drought since 2014. This defeat led to discussions about how India is qualifying for the finals in multiple ICC tournaments but isn’t able to win them. Many teams, over the years, qualified for the finals but failed to convert them into victories. Today we will take a look at 5 teams who have lost the most number of ICC finals till date.
#1. England- 6
England haven’t had much luck with winning ICC trophies. Till date they have been able to win only 2 ICC trophies, the ODI World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2010. It wasn’t for the lack of good players though- England boasted of the best players in the world lots of times. But England either failed to qualify for the ICC finals or got to the finals and lost.
England tops the list with 6 ICC final losses. They made it to the finals and lost in the 1979 ODI World Cup, the 1987 ODI World Cup, the 1992 ODI World Cup, 2004 Champions Trophy, 2013 Champions Trophy, and 2016 T20 World Cup. However, the only time they were successful was in the 2019 ODI World Cup final, where they defeated New Zealand in a controversial fashion and in the 2010 T20 World Cup.
#2. India- 5
With India’s latest loss against New Zealand in the WTC final, India registered their fifth ICC final loss. India is yet to win a single ICC trophy since their Champions Trophy triumph in 2013. This record is also raising questions over captain Virat Kohli‘s leadership.
India lost in the finals of the 2003 ODI World Cup, 2000 Champions Trophy, 2014 T20 World Cup, the 2017 Champions Trophy, and the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 recently.
#3. Sri Lanka- 4
Sri Lankan cricket is witnessing a decline in the past few years. However earlier, Sri Lanka was still a formidable team. They won a few ICC events but also lost quite a few. To date, Sri Lanka has lost 4 ICC finals.
Sri Lanka were a part of and lost the finals of the 2007 ODI World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, the 2009 T20 World Cup, and the 2012 T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka will be looking for a turnaround in the future, as their status in the world of cricket is dwindling.
#4. Australia- 3
Australia is one of the most successful teams in the history of the game. They’ve won the most number of ODI World Cups (5). However, they also lost 3 ICC finals. Australia is a team that is more likely to convert a finals qualification into a win. So it suffices to say that these losses don’t represent their might as a cricketing powerhouse.
Australia lost the finals of the very first ODI World Cup in 1975 and lost again in 1996. Their latest ICC final loss was in 2010 when they lost in the final of the T20 World Cup.
#5. West Indies- 3
West Indies is another team that witnessed a decline in quality over time. West Indies was a cricketing giant at their peak. Players like Brian Lara and Sir Vivian Richards played a big part in establishing the country as one of the best teams in the world. They were world beaters, and it’s only in the past few years the quality of their international team has declined.
West Indies lost 3 ICC finals in their cricketing history. West Indies lost against India in the 1983 ODI World Cup and then lost in the finals of the 1998 and 2006 editions of the Champions Trophy. West Indies won two T20 World Cups due to their star T20 batsmen, but are yet to make an impact in other formats of ICC tournaments.
