Will the Champions Trophy 2025 happen in Pakistan? Will India go to Pakistan? Will India matches be held in Dubai, or any other neutral venue? Well, there is no clear answer to this, but as per various reports, India will not travel to Pakistan. Till now, the Indian side and BCCI has maintained, they have to get clearance from the government. But as it turns out, if Rohit Sharma & Co. do manage to reach the final, the match will be held in Dubai, and not Lahore.
Champions Trophy Final to be Moved
Now, as per a report in the Telegraph, the alternate options to the final of the Champions Trophy 2025 are already being discussed. The tournament is scheduled to start from Feb 19 and will go until March 9. But that also means, no one will know until March 6, if India would make it to the final, and both Lahore & Dubai will have to prepare for the summit clash. That would also mean a logistical challenge for the broadcasters, fans as well and the players.
Not just that, since there is a possibility that India might want their matches to be played elsewhere, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi will also keep their facilities ready.
The Champions Trophy, which runs from February 19 to March 9, is being staged in Pakistan with venues for all 15 games officially confirmed. The International Cricket Council is proceeding with plans for the tournament on this basis, with no board discussions yet about switching any portion of the competition.
If India makes CT Final..
But India have not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008. There is as yet no indication that the Indian government will relax their ban on touring Pakistan. As previously reported, there is a strong possibility that the ICC will ultimately find a different venue for India’s matches – including, if they advance that far, the final itself.
This situation throws another challenge, that India would know before hand that they would play their semis and final away from Pakistan, a luxury others won’t have. Earlier, in 2023, Pakistan had outsourced the Asia Cup to Sri Lanka. Having said that, the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has maintained that all teams will play in Pakistan.
He had said, “The Indian team should come,” Naqvi said. “We are confident we will host all the teams in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.”
