Team India will not go to Pakistan! Champions Trophy final will be held in this country

Champions Trophy 2025: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stepped up its preparations for the Champions Trophy to be held in 2025. This prestigious tournament will be played early next year and will be an important event of the International Cricket Council (ICC). However, there is no clarity yet about the participation of the Indian cricket team in this tournament. India has not toured Pakistan since 2008, and due to the current political and diplomatic circumstances, it seems unlikely that the Indian team will play on Pakistani soil.

The final venue may change

Due to the strained relations between India and Pakistan, the teams of both the countries face each other only in ICC tournaments or Asia Cup. In this sequence, according to a report in the Telegraph, the Champions Trophy 2025 can be held under a hybrid model. In this model, if the Indian team reaches the final, then the final match will be held outside Pakistan. Potentially this match can be held in Dubai.

Possibility of change in venue of group stage and semi-finals

It is also expected that the Indian team will play all its group stage matches outside Pakistan. According to the draft schedule, India has to play its group matches in Lahore, which includes matches against Bangladesh (February 20), New Zealand (February 23), and Pakistan (March 1). But if India does not tour Pakistan, then the venue of all these matches may change. According to the current plan, the semi-finals are also to be played in Pakistan, but if India reaches the semi-finals, then their venue can also be changed.

Experience of hybrid model

Earlier, the same hybrid model was used in Asia Cup 2023, when Pakistan hosted the tournament, but the Indian team did not play any match on Pakistani soil. All the matches of the Indian team took place in Sri Lanka, and the final was also played there. A similar formula can be adopted in the Champions Trophy 2025, in which matches of Pakistan and India can be held at different places.

ICC event in Pakistan after 29 years

The Champions Trophy 2025 will be the first ICC tournament to be held in Pakistan, which is being held on Pakistani soil in the last 29 years. Pakistan last hosted a major ICC tournament in 1996. This time the organization of the Champions Trophy can give Pakistan cricket a new identity in world cricket, but the uncertainty of the participation of the Indian team can change the direction of this event.

Conclusion

The Champions Trophy 2025 is a historic occasion for Pakistan, but due to diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan, there are still questions on the presence of the Indian team. How the tournament will be organized and how the participation of the Indian team will be ensured will only become clear with time.