New Delhi: With the T20 World Cup 2024 done and dusted, the focus now shifts to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 which is the next major ICC tournament scheduled to be staged next year. Pakistan are the official hosts of the tournament and have already proposed a tentative schedule for the showpiece event which is set to be played in February-March next year.
A report in the Telegraph UK has revealed the proposed schedule by the PCB for Champions Trophy 2025. As per the proposed schedule, hosts Pakistan will square off against New Zealand in the tournament opener on February 19. The marquee clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan has been scheduled for March 01 at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore.
Another blockbuster clash between England and Australia will be played in Lahore on February 22. All of India’s matches have been scheduled in Lahore as per the proposed schedule. Meanwhile, Rawalpindi and Karachi have been roped in as the other two venues for the multi-national tournament which will be a significant event for Pakistan.
The Champions Trophy 2025 is the first major ICC event being hosted by Pakistan since the 1996 ODI World Cup. The top eight teams who will be taking part in the showpiece event have been divided into groups of four each as per the proposed schedule. Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are in Group A along with Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Group B consists of reigning ODI world champions Australia along with England, South Africa and Afghanistan. The first semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2025 will be played on March 05 followed by the second semi-final in Rawalpindi on March 06. The final of the tournament will be played in Lahore on March 09.
Check out the complete Champions Trophy 2025 proposed schedule:
February 19: New Zealand vs Pakistan – Karachi
February 20: Bangladesh vs India – Lahore
February 21: Afghanistan vs South Africa – Karachi
February 22: Australia vs England – Lahore
February 23: New Zealand vs India – Lahore
February 24: Pakistan vs Bangladesh – Rawalpindi
February 25: Afghanistan vs England – Lahore
February 26: Australia vs South Africa – Rawalpindi
February 27: Bangladesh vs New Zealand – Lahore
February 28: Afghanistan vs Australia – Rawalpindi
March 1: Pakistan vs India – Lahore
March 2: South Africa vs England – Rawalpindi
March 5 Semi-final: TBC vs TBC – Karachi
March 6 Semi-final: TBC vs TBC – Rawalpindi
March 9 Final: TBC vs TBC – Lahore
Will BCCI allow India to travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy?
The tentative schedule proposed by the PCB is subject to approval from both the BCCI and the ICC. It remains to be seen if the BCCI will allow the Indian team to travel to Pakistan for the event. As per reports, the Indian cricket board is unlikely to send the team to Pakistan considering the strained political relations between the two countries.
The BCCI had refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup last year which led to the tournament being staged in a hybrid model. The board has maintained that the final decision on India’s travel plans will depend on the government. If BCCI refuses to send the Indian team to Pakistan, the tournament will have to be played in a hybrid model with India playing their matches at a neutral venue.
As per the tentative schedule proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, hosts Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the tournament opener on February 19. The marquee India-Pakistan clash is scheduled to take place in Lahore on March 01. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
