The Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, instead requesting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to schedule its matches in Sri Lanka or Dubai, a BCCI source revealed to ANI.
The tournament is set to take place in Pakistan from February to March 2025. Bharat has avoided playing in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup due to strained relations between the two countries. The last bilateral series between Bharat and Pakistan occurred in Bharat from December 2012 to January 2013. Since then, the teams have only faced each other in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup.
Doubts have persisted regarding Bharat’s participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy due to ongoing political tensions. The Pakistan Cricket Board-PCB had proposed that Bharat play all its matches in one city, selecting Lahore as the venue. However, the BCCI rejected the idea of travelling to Pakistan.
A BCCI source told ANI, “Bharat will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. We will ask the ICC to hold our matches in Dubai or Sri Lanka.” In May, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla mentioned that the Indian team’s participation in Pakistan would depend on the Central Government’s approval. “In the case of the Champions Trophy, we will follow the Indian Government’s directives. We only send our team when the government permits us,” Shukla stated.
A similar situation arose during the Asia Cup last year, initially scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan. The PCB had to adopt a hybrid model, with all of Bharat’s matches, including those against Pakistan, being held in Sri Lanka. The final, won by Bharat, took place in Colombo. Pakistan had considered a hybrid approach for the ODI World Cup in India the previous year, but it was not pursued.
Pakistan, the defending champions of the Champions Trophy, last won the tournament in 2017.
