The Champions Trophy is set to return to the ICC calendar after a hiatus of eight years - here's all the details we know about the 2025 Champions Trophy, scheduled to be played in Pakistan in February and March.
The hosts, who are also the cup-holders after having beat arch-rivals India by 180 runs at the final of the 2017 edition at The Oval, will defend their title against seven other sides in what is scheduled to be the first multi-team ICC-sanctioned tournament to be played in its entirety in Pakistan.
Latest reports and updates on Champions Trophy 2025
Last updated on July 24, 12 pm IST
Afghanistan confirms participation in Champions Trophy - reports
Amid speculations of other teams siding with the BCCI in case they decide to pull out or refuse to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, Afghanistan Cricket Board officials have reportedly assured their participation in the event to the PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi during the ICC Annual Board meeting in Colombo.
ICC approves budget for CT 2025, but allocates extra funds for contingency
According to multiple reports citing sources who were present at the ICC Annual Board meeting in Colombo, the ICC has approved the budget for the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, reports also suggest that extra funds have been set aside for the scenario of BCCI opting out of sending the Indian team to Pakistan, in which case the tournament might have to be played in a hybrid model, similar to the 2023 Asia Cup.
The first edition of the Champions Trophy took place in 1998 in Bangladesh. Eight iterations of the event have happened so far, in four-year intervals, with the last one having been played in 2017.
The 2025 Champions Trophy will be the ninth edition, returning after an eight-year hiatus.
Champions Trophy 2025: Format and teams
The 2025 Champions trophy will feature the hosts Pakistan, along with the seven other top-ranked teams in the preceding ODI World Cup to be crowned the best of the best.
The tournament comprises two groups of four, where, under its new, revamped structure, the competing teams are allocated on the basis of their World Cup performances.
Pakistan have announced their schedule for the 2024/25 home season, including three Tests against England later this year.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 5, 2024
Complete schedule here: https://t.co/cDZiFlxIww pic.twitter.com/yRT62zwC5W
Group A: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh
Group B: Afghanistan, Australia, England, South Africa
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the two semi-finals, where the winners will directly qualify for the finals, like in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, as opposed to the qualifiers and eliminators in franchise leagues.
Champions Trophy 2025: What does the schedule look like?
According to reports, the PCB has shared an official draft for the schedule of the 2025 Champions Trophy to the ICC. According to the draft, the tournament is scheduled to commence on 19 February, and the final is supposed to be played on 9 March at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. However, the schedule has not been confirmed yet.
The PCB has proposed three venues – Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi – for the tournament, and India will reportedly play all their matches in Lahore.
Al Jazeera has reported that according to an unnamed PCB source, Pakistan and India are expected to face off on March 1 in what would be India's first match on Pakistani soil since 2008. However, this remains unconfirmed.
Champions Trophy 2025: Will India actually travel to Pakistan?
Although the PCB has steadfastly maintained that the full tournament will be played in Pakistan, it remains uncertain whether India will indeed travel to their neighbouring country after 16 years for the Champions Trophy.
Last year, Pakistan had hosting rights for the Asia Cup; however, India refused to travel to their western neighbours, which led to a "hybrid model" in which India played all of their games, including the final, in Sri Lanka – in what ended up being a logistical nightmare for the tournament organisers.
Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has not yet commented on whether India will travel to Pakistan next year. He has, however, said that their target is to "win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy under Rohit Sharma's captaincy" and that "the seniors will be there".
Latest reports suggest that India is unlikely to travel to Pakistan and that the final decision rests on the hands of the central government.
“While the details of the tournament have not yet been discussed, it is highly unlikely that the Indian team will travel to Pakistan. Ultimately, the decision rests with the Indian government. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) plans to raise this issue at the upcoming ICC meeting in Sri Lanka this month,” a source was quoted as saying by Sports Tak.
What happens if India don't travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025?
If India still refuses to travel to Pakistan, the ICC may be forced to consider implementing the hybrid model which would see the team play their matches in another country, such as the UAE or Sri Lanka.
As a Plan B for the Champions Trophy, a hybrid model is being considered,which will be discussed in the ICC meeting.Budget of hosting matches in another country along with Pakistan is on the agenda,UAE being mentioned as a possible venue. PCB is not in favor of the hybrid model
— Saleem Khaliq (@saleemkhaliq) July 14, 2024
Nothing has been confirmed so far, however.
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