BCCI secretary Jay Shah with India’s ODI captain Rohit Sharma (AFP)
With the Indian Cricket team unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, there is a possibility that Rohit and Co.’s matches could be moved to either Dubai or Sri Lanka. As per a report in ANI, the BCCI will ask the ICC to consider the tournament to be held in a hybrid model, similar to the 2023 Asia Cup.
“India will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. Will tell ICC to hold its matches in Dubai or Sri Lanka,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by ANI.
The eight-team ICC event is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9 next year, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) furnishing its draft for the tournament. Seven matches have been allotted to Lahore, five to Rawalpindi, and three to Karachi. As proposed by the PCB, the high-voltage match between India and Pakistan will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 1.
India hasn’t traveled to Pakistan since 2008. In the last 16 years, only once have these two teams played a bilateral series against each other, which was way back in 2012–13.
India was supposed to travel to Pakistan last year to take part in the Asia Cup, but due to tensions between the two nations, the tournament was moved out of Pakistan, and India’s matches, including the final, were played in Sri Lanka.
However, despite India’s decision to skip the Pakistan tour, Pakistan traveled to India to take part in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 and played matches in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata.
As per the available information, any decision about India’s travel to Pakistan will be taken by the Indian government.
“While the details of the tournament have not yet been discussed, it is highly unlikely that the Indian team will travel to Pakistan. Ultimately, the decision rests with the Indian government. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) plans to raise this issue at the upcoming ICC meeting in Sri Lanka this month,” a source was quoted as saying.
“The government’s decision on this matter will be final, as we have not yet confirmed it internally. Since this is an ICC event, we do not have the authority to make any unilateral decisions. However, more details may emerge during the next ICC meeting,” he added.
Pakistan’s draft for CT 2025
Last week, it was reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had furnished its draft for the Champions Trophy 2025 and assigned seven matches to Lahore, five to Rawalpindi, and three to Karachi. India vs Pakistan was set for March 1 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
The last edition of the ICC Champions Trophy was played in England (2017), where in the final, Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Pakistan defeated Virat Kohli’s India by 180 runs.
