India’s cricket team is reportedly reluctant to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, as the BCCI intends to request a hybrid model, possibly shifting India’s games to Sri Lanka or Dubai. According to a BCCI source who spoke to ANI on Thursday, this decision reflects longstanding political tension between the neighboring countries.
Scheduled from February to March 2025, the Champions Trophy would be a major tournament in Pakistan, marking the country’s first ICC event since the 1996 World Cup. However, India has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup due to strained diplomatic ties. The two nations last met for a bilateral series in India during 2012-13, and now only encounter each other in ICC events and Asia Cup tournaments.
Recently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) proposed hosting India’s matches in Lahore, but BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla responded that the Indian team’s participation depends entirely on approval from the Indian government. Shukla emphasized in May, “We send our team only when authorized by the Government of India. So, we will abide by their decision.”
This situation mirrors last year’s Asia Cup, initially set for Pakistan, in which all of India’s matches, including showdowns with Pakistan, were relocated to Sri Lanka, with India ultimately clinching the title in Colombo.
Champions Trophy History
The ICC Champions Trophy, often called the “mini World Cup,” debuted in 1998, initially named the ICC Knockout Tournament. The event aimed to support cricket development in non-Test countries, with early editions in Kenya and Bangladesh. Eventually, it grew into a marquee event held in cricketing strongholds like England and India. The last edition, in 2017, took place in England, where Pakistan defeated India in a memorable final.
India holds two Champions Trophy titles, winning in 2013 under MS Dhoni and sharing the trophy with Sri Lanka in 2002.
