South Africa, Spurs, PSG, RCB... chokers no longer
South Africa defeated Australia in the World Test Championship final to end their 27-year wait for an ICC trophy.
South Africa defeated Australia in the World Test Championship final to end their 27-year wait for an ICC trophy.
South Africa defeated Australia in the World Test Championship final to end their 27-year wait for an ICC trophy.
The year 2025 has been generous to some of the perennial underachievers in sport. South Africa's 27-year wait to win a final and lift an ICC trophy is the latest among the list of sporting triumphs from teams written off for so long.
Temba Bavuma's Proteas created history at Lord's when they defeated the holders Australia by five wickets to lift the mace awarded to the winners of the World Test Championship.
Aiden Markram scored a brilliant 136 in the second innings and was ably supported by his skipper Bavuma (66) as South Africa chased down 282 runs on the fourth day.
South Africa's win in the 1998 Champions Trophy was their last triumph in an ICC event until last night. They had endured heartbreaking losses in big ICC events between then: Birmingham 1999, Dhaka 2011, Auckland 2015, Kolkata 2023 and Bridgetown 2024.
"Whilst we were batting, we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word, choke," captain Bavuma said after the match.
"It's been years since we've overcome a final. We've been etched in history, we're part of something that has never been done. It's special in a lot of ways. Also, it's a chance for South Africa to be united. We've got a cause where we can put aside our differences and enjoy. We just have to embrace it."
English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur won the Europa League in May, ending their painful 17-year wait for a trophy. Ange Postecoglou's Spurs defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the final in Bilbao.
Spurs won the English League Cup in 2008, but their previous major title was won in 1984 when they took the UEFA Cup to London.
Less than ten days later, French side Paris St Germain (PSG) clinched their maiden European trophy by lifting the coveted Champions League with a crushing 5-0 win over Inter Milan in Munich.
Since their celebrated takeover by a Qatari government-backed organisation in 2011, the French side has seen billions invested in search of glory. Though PSG won 11 Ligue 1 titles in the last 14 years, the Champions League had remained a dream until Luis Enrique delivered.
Just two days after PSG's unprecedented success, the perennial underachievers of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), ended their 18-year wait for the title.
Rajat Patidar's RCB, comprising superstar Virat Kohli, who has been with the franchise since its inception, defeated Punjab Kings by six runs in the final in Ahmedabad.