There has been a lot of conversation regarding the Champions Trophy 2025 taking place in Pakistan and what that means for India's participation in the tournament. India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series in over a decade due to political tensions and the only time the two teams face each other is during international competitions. While Pakistan did travel to India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, India have not confirmed their plans regarding the Champions Trophy. While Lahore has reportedly been confirmed as the venue for the tournament's final, a report by Telegraph.co.uk claims that the final can be shifted to Dubai if the Indian cricket team end up qualifying for the summit clash of Champions Trophy 2025.
The report further claimed that India can play all of their games in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) if they decide to not travel to Pakistan. However, in the past few weeks, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shown confidence that the tournament will take place in Pakistan in its entirety.
Earlier, chairman Mohsin Naqvi has expressed confidence that the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will be held successfully in Pakistan, with all participating teams, including India, expected to participate in the tournament.
Set to take place from February 19 to March 9, the Champions Trophy will be played across Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. Naqvi emphasized that preparations for the event are progressing on schedule, with further improvements to stadiums already in motion.
Speaking in Lahore, Naqvi addressed the ongoing uncertainty surrounding India's participation. India has not toured Pakistan since July 2008 due to political tension between the two countries. However, Naqvi remained optimistic about India's inclusion in the tournament.
"The Indian team should come. I don't see them cancelling or postponing coming here, and we are confident we will host all the teams in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan," Naqvi told reporters in Lahore.
He reassured that the stadiums would be ready on time, and any further renovations would be completed post-tournament. "In a way, you can say that we are going to have a brand new stadium," Naqvi added.
(With IANS inputs)