India-Pakistan Showdown in Doubt: BCCI Eyes Hybrid Hosting for Champions Trophy 

The Indian cricket team is expected to skip traveling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, citing ongoing tensions between the two countries. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has proposed an alternative, hosting matches in a hybrid model, with games held in Dubai or Sri Lanka. This major tournament is scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9, with a reserve day set for March 10. 

This situation is significant for Pakistan, which has not hosted a major ICC event since the 1996 World Cup. Despite successfully hosting the entire Asia Cup in 2008 and several matches in last year’s edition, the Champions Trophy would mark a notable achievement for the 2017 champions.  

India has not played any cricket matches in Pakistan since the bilateral series in 2012-2013, due to the strained relations between the two nations. Consequently, the cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan has been limited to ICC tournaments and Asia Cup encounters. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has planned a marquee match between India and Pakistan in Lahore on March 1, but the BCCI has yet to agree to this tentative schedule. For security and logistical reasons, the PCB’s chairman Mohsin Naqvi has proposed that all of India’s matches be played in Lahore.  

In a statement made in May, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla emphasized that the Indian team’s participation in Pakistan would depend entirely on the approval of the central government.  

If the Champions Trophy is relocated to Sri Lanka or the UAE, it would be the second multi-nation tournament in two years to be moved out of Pakistan due to India’s reluctance to play there. The Asia Cup 2023 was similarly played in a hybrid model, with all of India’s matches held in Sri Lanka, while the remaining games took place in Pakistan.