Will India travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025? ICC mulling over hybrid model

The ICC Champions Trophy is set to mark its return in 2025 after an absence of eight years. The last time the Champions Trophy tournament was held was back in 2017 when Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India in the competition's final.

The returning tournament edition will now be hosted by the defending champions Pakistan in February 2025.

Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England and India are the qualified nations for the tournament, courtesy of their rankings in the ODI World Cup 2023.

However, there have been speculations that India might not travel to Pakistan and instead, might ask to play their matches at a neutral venue, in another country. 

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Will India travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025?

According to multiple media reports, BCCI are unlikely to allow the Indian cricket team to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. India have not visited the neighbouring country since participating in the Asia Cup 2008 due to strained political relations.

In case India does not travel to Pakistan next year, ICC have started mulling over conducting the tournament in a hybrid model similar to how ACC hosted the Asia Cup last year in Pakistan in Sri Lanka, according to Indian Express.

While a co-host is yet to be announced, UAE could be an alternative venue where India will play their matches. This would also mean that one semi-final and the final are likely to be held in the Arab nation.

The ICC has prepared a contingency plan for the Champions Trophy 2025.
کہا تھا نہ لکھ کر رکھ لو
Note: Pakistan will not be the sole host of the CT 2025.

— Shoaib Jatt (@Shoaib_Jatt) July 14, 2024

As per a reported draft schedule prepared by the global body, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh have been clubbed in Group A. 

It will be interesting to see if Pakistan, who were supposed to host the competition solely, will agree to ICC's contingency plan of co-hosting the tournament. 

MORE: Will India travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025?

List of ICC Champions trophy winners

Here is a list of all the ICC Champions Trophy winners since the tournament's inception in the year 1998:

When will the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 be played?

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be played between February 19, to March 09, 2025. The eight-member competition will be held among the top seven teams from the ODI World Cup 2023, with Pakistan qualifying as hosts, despite getting eliminated in the group stage.