The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Instead, the BCCI plans to request the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate their matches to Sri Lanka or Dubai.
Scheduled for February to March 2025 in Pakistan, the Champions Trophy faces complications due to strained political relations, with India not having played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between the two countries was in India from December 2012 to January 2013, limited to ICC tournaments and Asia Cups since then.
Read more: Will India attend ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan?
BCCI sources have confirmed the decision, citing political reasons, marking another setback for Pakistan’s efforts to host a major ICC event.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) proposed that India play all its matches in Lahore, but the BCCI remains firm. In May, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla stated the team would only travel if the Central government permitted it.
“In the case of the Champions Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India tells us to do. We will send our team only when the Government of India permits. So we will go according to the decision of the Indian government,” Shukla said.
The ICC now faces the challenge of addressing the BCCI’s request while maintaining the tournament’s integrity and schedule.
