India’s matches in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will be held in Dubai, as the country declined to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced this decision on Sunday after months of discussions between the cricketing rivals.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had earlier clarified that India’s matches in the eight-team event would be played outside Pakistan. This compromise comes after a prolonged standoff over the venue, culminating in the PCB selecting Dubai as the neutral location.
A PCB spokesperson stated, “Pakistan has chosen Dubai as the neutral venue for the Champions Trophy, and it has been conveyed to the ICC officially, meaning India will play its matches there.”
As part of the agreement, Pakistan will also play at neutral venues for events hosted by India until 2027.
The tournament will run from February 19 to March 9, 2025, featuring teams from Pakistan, India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. The ICC is expected to release the final schedule next week.
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series since the 2008 Mumbai attacks and now only face off in multinational tournaments like the World Cup and Asia Cup.
