No Champions Trophy In Pakistan! 8-Team Tournament Likely To Take Place In Dubai – Reports

no champions trophy in pakistan! 8-team tournament likely to take place in dubai – reports

The 2025 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is set to move out of Pakistan. Pakistan was awarded the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to take place in February–March 2025, but according to a report in Dainik Jagran, due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, India will not travel to Pakistan for the eight-team tournament. It has been reported that the tournament will either take place in Dubai or will be played in a hybrid format, like the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup, which was jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka after India refused to travel across the border.

“Champions Trophy will not be held in Pakistan. Champions Trophy can be held in the UAE or in a hybrid model like the Asia Cup. Unless there is a radical change in the policy of the Indian government, it will be impossible for the Indian team to play in Pakistan,” a senior journalist of the leading publication tweeted on Monday.

The Champions Trophy 2025 was the first major ICC tournament awarded to Pakistan since they jointly hosted the 1996 ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. India has not travelled to Pakistan since 2008. The last bilateral series between the two teams was played in 2012–13, when Pakistan landed in India to take part in a white-ball series.

Pakistan had the hosting rights of 2023 Asia Cup, but after India refused to go to Pakistan, the Asian Cricket Council opted for a hybrid format in which India played its matches in Sri Lanka. The same format is likely to be introduced for the Champions Trophy as well, where India’s matches and the knockouts will be played outside Pakistan.

A few days ago, it was reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has urged the ICC to sign the Champions Trophy 2025 hosting rights agreements with it and told the global body that it should be compensated if India refuse to travel to the country, citing security reasons.

According to the report in PTI, PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf and COO Salman Naseer met the ICC executive board in Ahmedabad to discuss the hosting of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

“Pakistani officials discussed the probability of the Indian board (BCCI) again refusing to send its team to Pakistan and made it clear that in any given situation, the ICC must avoid taking unilateral decisions on the tournament,” the source told PTI.