The final of next year’s Champions Trophy might be moved from Lahore, Pakistan, to Dubai, with the possibility that the Indian team, including players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, may not need to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering hosting India’s matches in Dubai.
Pakistan is set to host the Champions Trophy in 2025, with matches scheduled in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. The tournament is set to begin on February 19, 2025, and the final is currently planned for Lahore on March 9. However, according to a report from a UK media outlet, the ICC is considering moving the final to Dubai if India reaches the final.
ICC officials do not plan to move the entire tournament out of Pakistan, but they also don’t want to force India to play in Pakistan. Similar to the hybrid model used in the recent Asia Cup, the ICC is considering hosting India’s matches in Dubai, with the possibility of India’s semi-final being held in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, while the remaining matches would take place in Pakistan.
Despite the ICC’s plan for a hybrid model, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi remains hopeful that India will play in Pakistan. He stated, “We hope the Indian team will come to Pakistan. I don’t see any reason for them not to. We are optimistic about hosting the Champions Trophy in Pakistan with all the teams participating.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not made any official comment regarding sending the Indian team to Pakistan. During the India-Bangladesh Kanpur Test, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla said, “India’s participation in next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan depends on approval from the central government. No final decision has been made yet. For any foreign tour, government approval is required. It is standard procedure. Whether the Indian team will travel to any country is decided by the government, and everything depends on their decision.”
It’s important to note that India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Since then, they have only faced each other in multi-team tournaments.
