BCCI Seeks Relocation of ICC Champions Trophy Matches to Sri Lanka or Dubai

The Indian cricket team will not be traveling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Instead, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) plans to request the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate their matches to either Sri Lanka or Dubai. The tournament is scheduled to be held in Pakistan between February and March 2025. Due to strained political relations, India has not played cricket in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.

The last bilateral series between the archrivals took place in India from December 2012 to January 2013. Since then, their encounters have been limited to ICC tournaments and Asia Cups. Speculation has been ongoing that India may not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The Pakistan Cricket Board proposed that India play all its matches in Lahore. However, the BCCI is not interested in traveling to Pakistan. In May, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla stated that the Indian team would visit Pakistan for the tournament only if the Central government allowed it.

“In the case of the Champions Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India tells us to do. We will send our team only when the Government of India permits. So we will go according to the decision of the Indian government,” Shukla told ANI.

India won the Asia Cup 2023, with the final held in Colombo. Despite Pakistan suggesting a hybrid approach for participating in the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, the idea was never considered.