After a month long struggle between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and International Cricket Council (ICC)the three parties finally reached a consensus around the venue of India-Pakistan matches in major ICC tournaments, among others Champions Trophy 2025 which is scheduled to take place the Pakistan.
Very clear about India-Pakistan matches in Champions Trophy
The three parties involved have reached a consensus that the upcoming India-Pakistan matches in the current 2024-27 cycle will be played in a neutral country. The ICC in a statement today said the agreement will apply to ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (Pakistan), ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (India) and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (India and Sri Lanka). This will automatically mean that the India-Pakistan clash during the T20 World Cup in 2026 will be played in Sri Lanka. Additionally, Pakistan has been awarded the hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where the neutral venue arrangements will remain the same.
Read also: Pakistan PM shares position on Champions Trophy 2025 amid PCB vs BCCI row
Venue still unclear for IND vs Pak in Champions Trophy: UAE favourites?
While a consensus has been reached to host the matches between India and Pakistan in a neutral country, the host for these matches in the champions trophy is still unknown. BCCI has reportedly favored UAE to host these matches PCB on the other hand supports Sri Lanka to host these matches. However, due to logistical convenience, the hosting rights for these games may ultimately go in favor of the UAE. If the decision goes in favor of the UAE, Dubai International Cricket Stadium is the most likely candidate to host the match considering the size of the stadium and the huge number of people watching the match in person. 8 nations have qualified for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
