The Indian cricket team will not be going to Pakistan to participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy set to be hosted in the country. According to a report by cricket-related website ESPNcricinfo, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already informed the ICC that the Indian government is not granting permission for the team to travel to Pakistan.
As a result, India will not participate in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Consequently, the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have to make alternative arrangements for organizing the tournament.
However, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has already objected to using a hybrid model. He stated that no discussion on this matter has taken place. Nonetheless, preparatory discussions for alternative arrangements are ongoing in light of the situation.
The eight-team global tournament is scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, 2025. Due to India’s objection, the ICC and PCB will need to come up with an alternative plan. Discussions are ongoing about organizing the tournament in a hybrid model, where some matches would be held in Pakistan and others at an alternative venue. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is currently a top contender as the potential host for this model, with Sri Lanka also being considered as an option.
In the 2023 Asia Cup, when India did not travel to Pakistan, the matches were organized under a hybrid model, with games being held in Sri Lanka. Following that experience, the issue of obtaining government approval for the Indian team to travel to Pakistan has become clearer.
The 2025 Champions Trophy will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa.
