Longest gap between two titles in ICC Tournament

The ICC tournaments have witnessed some remarkable moments, including the longest gaps between title wins by teams, highlighting the unpredictability and competitive nature of international cricket. Such gaps underscore the intense competition and the cyclical nature of success in ICC events, making each victory a testament to a team’s resilience and adaptability on the world stage.

1. South Africa: On 14 June 2025, South Africa ended a 27-year drought by winning against Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final at the historic Lord’s ground. South Africa’s famously won their first only – ICC trophy in 1998, clinching the ICC KnockOut Trophy (now the ICC Champions Trophy) by defeating the West Indies in the final.
2. West Indies: The West Indies cricket team experienced a 25-year gap between ICC tournament titles, which is the longest gap for them between two ICC titles. They won the ICC Cricket World Cup twice early on, in 1975 and 1979, and then did not win another ICC title until the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004, marking a 25-year gap between these major ICC tournament victories. Additionally, the West Indies ended a 33-year wait for a world title when they won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2012, their first world title since the 1979 World Cup. However, the specific 25-year gap refers to the period between their 1979 World Cup win and the 2004 Champions Trophy victory.
3. New-Zealand: New Zealand’s longest gap between two ICC tournament titles is 21 years. They won their first ICC title in October 2000 by claiming the ICC KnockOut Trophy (now known as the ICC Champions Trophy) by defeating India in the final. Their next ICC title came in June 2021 when they won the inaugural ICC World Test Championship by beating India in the final. This 21-year gap between their two ICC titles—from 2000 to 2021—is notable as New Zealand reached several other ICC finals during this period but did not secure the championship until the World Test Championship victory in 2021. The 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy win was their maiden ICC title, and the 2021 World Test Championship win marked their first major ICC title in over two decades.
4. India: India holds the record for one of the longest gaps between two ICC tournament titles, enduring a 19-year wait between their first and second major ICC trophies. India won their first ICC title in 1983 by clinching the Cricket World Cup under Kapil Dev’s captaincy. Their next ICC tournament victory came in 2002, when they were joint winners of the ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka, marking a 19-year gap between major ICC titles. This period is notable in Indian cricket history, as it highlights the long wait for global success after the 1983 World Cup triumph. Following this, India’s next ICC title was the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, and then the 2011 ODI World Cup, after which they have added more trophies to their cabinet. However, the 19-year interval between 1983 and 2002 remains the longest gap between two ICC tournament wins for India.

4. Pakistan: Pakistan experienced a 17-year gap between winning two major ICC tournament titles. Their first ICC World Cup victory came in 1992, and after a long wait, they won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. This 2017 Champions Trophy win was historic, as Pakistan defeated India in the final by a record margin of 180 runs, the largest in any ICC ODI final. This gap between 1992 and 2017 marks the longest interval Pakistan has had between two ICC tournament titles.
5. Sri-Lanka: Sri Lanka experienced a 12-year gap between ICC tournament titles, which is one of the longest intervals for a major cricketing nation. After winning the ICC Champions Trophy (shared with India) in 2002, Sri Lanka had to wait until 2014 to secure their next ICC trophy, which came with their victory in the ICC T20 World Cup. his period from 2002 to 2014 marks a 12-year drought between major ICC tournament wins for the Sri Lankan national cricket team. This gap is significant given Sri Lanka’s strong cricketing history, highlighted by their earlier triumph in the 1996 ICC ODI World Cup and their consistent presence in major tournament finals. The 12-year wait underscores both the challenges and resilience of Sri Lankan cricket on the global stage.

6. Australia: Australia holds the record for the longest gap between two ICC tournament titles, which lasted 12 years. After winning the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007 under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy, Australia did not win another ICC title until they clinched the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021. This 12-year gap stands out in their otherwise dominant history in ICC tournaments, where they have amassed a total of 10 ICC trophies across formats, including 6 Cricket World Cups, 2 Champions Trophies, 1 T20 World Cup, and 1 World Test Championship.
7. England: England experienced the longest gap of 12 years between their two ICC T20 World Cup titles, winning first in 2010 and then again in 2022. They clinched their maiden T20 World Cup title in 2010 in the Caribbean under the captaincy of Paul Collingwood, defeating Australia in the final. After that victory, England had to wait until 2022 to win their second T20 World Cup title, this time under Jos Buttler’s captaincy, beating Pakistan in the final held in Australia. This 12-year interval marks the longest gap between two T20 World Cup titles for England in the period from 2010 to 2019 and beyond. During this period, England remained a strong contender, reaching the final in 2016 and the semi-finals in other editions, but could not secure the title until 2022.

India’s triumph in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup famously ended a 28-year drought since their first title in 1983, marking one of the longest waits between two ICC tournament victories. Meanwhile, the West Indies’ wait for another title continues, with their last win dating back to 1979—now over four decades ago. These long gaps highlight just how challenging and competitive the world of international cricket can be.