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Best Bowling Figures Vs India In Champions Trophy History

Arnav Chopra

Rana Naved, Matt Henry and Shoaib Akhtar (Source: @ThisBlogs/X.com, @ICC/X.com, @ICC/X.com)Rana Naved, Matt Henry and Shoaib Akhtar (Source: @ThisBlogs/X.com, @ICC/X.com, @ICC/X.com)

The ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 has seen many star-studded performances from both batters and bowlers. While batters have done incredible jobs by scoring centuries, the bowlers, meanwhile, have been outstanding, picking wickets at crucial junctures of the game.

The Champions Trophy has a massive legacy, with some of the best players performing against top-quality nations in a bid to achieve glory. Many players who have done an incredible job have their names etched in the record books with their fantastic performances.

In the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 game between India and New Zealand, Kiwi pacer Matt Henry picked up a fifer against the Indian lineup. His five-wicket haul proved the best performance against India in the history of the Champions Trophy. Therefore, let's have a look at the best bowling performances by a bowler against India in the Champions Trophy since its inception in 1998.

4. Douglas Hondo (Zimbabwe), Colombo, 2002 - 4/62

Number four on the list is Zimbabwe's Douglas Hondo, who did an incredible job against the Indian side back in the year 2002 when India were playing against them at Colombo's RPS stadium. Right-arm pacer Hondo picked a four-wicket haul against the rampant Indian side in his nine-over spell, giving away 62 runs.

He was the lone warrior for Zimbabwe as India scored a decent target of 288 in their respective 50 overs, with Mohammed Kaif scoring a blistering 111-run unbeaten knock. In reply, Zimbabwe came as close to 274 after completing their 50 overs as the Men in Blue won the game by just 14 runs in the third match of the 2002 Champions Trophy.

Despite India's victory, Douglas' spell will be remembered for a long time for his precious wickets of Sourav Ganguly, Dinesh Mongia, the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, and high-flying Yuvraj Singh.

3.  Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan), Birmingham, 2004 - 4/36

Number three on this list features Pakistan's express pace bowler and one of the fastest in the world, Shoaib Akhtar. Akhtar, who was a menace for the Indian batters, picked a four-wicket haul against India in the 2004 Champions Trophy match that was held in Birmingham.

India batted first and were bowled out for 200 in 49.5 overs, with Akhtar picking up four wickets for 36 runs in his 9.5 overs. He gave runs at an economy of 3.66, while his four wickets consisted of Mohammed Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Ashish Nehra.

With the help of Akhtar's mind-blowing spell, Pakistan achieved the target of 201 in the final over of the game, as India lost the game by three wickets and four balls to spare.

2.  Rana Naved-ul- Hasan (Pakistan), Birmingham, 2004 - 4/25

In the same match where Akhtar took four wickets, his bowling partner, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, also picked a four-wicket haul with an even better economy rate. As India were bowled out for 200 with Akhtar picking a four-wicket haul, Rana was magnificent with figures of 4/25 in his nine-over spell, giving runs at an economy of just 2.77 in his overs.

Naved's wicket included VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, and Ajit Agarkar, as India struggled but somehow managed to reach the 200-run mark. Both the pacers bowled exceptionally well in the same game to help Pakistan achieve this massive victory, as they helped their side reach the tournament's semi-final.

1.  Matt Henry (New Zealand), Dubai, 2025, This Match* - 5/42

And number one on this list is a freshly crowned Matt Henry, who, in the ongoing game against India, picked up a five-wicket haul, dismissing India's best batters at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in ongoing Champions Trophy 2025.

India, who were put into bat by the BlackCaps side, were rocked early as Henry struck in the third over to send back Shubman Gill and then dismissed Virat Kohli in the seventh over courtesy of a flying catch by Glenn Phillips. Later, he returned back to dismiss Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Shami to complete his fifer.

As he only got to bowl eight overs, Henry picked 5/42 while bowling at an economy of 5.20. India eventually reached 249 for 9 by the end of their 50 overs. Henry's spell of fast bowling caused Indian batters serious problems as he has always been difficult for them to manage.