Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule: India will open its campaign against Bangladesh on February 20, while the much-awaited India vs Pakistan match will be played three days later at the Dubai International Cricket as the ICC announced the schedule of the Champions Trophy 2025 on Tuesday. The deadlock over the tournament’s hosting came to an end last week after ICC confirmed that India would play its matches at a neutral venue instead of host country Pakistan, which will get a similar arrangement for tournaments to be held in India till 2027.
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand were placed in Group A, while Group B comprises Australia, England, Afghanistan, and South Africa.
Champions Trophy, which is making a comeback after eight long years – the last time it was held in England in 2017. Pakistan won by beating India in the final – will begin with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi.
After facing Bangladesh and Pakistan, India will play their last Group A match against New Zealand on March 2.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-final.
The deadlock over the hosting of next year’s Champions Trophy finally ended last week when the ICC announced that India will play their matches of the 50-over event at a neutral venue instead of host country Pakistan, which will get a similar arrangement for tournaments to be held in India till 2027.
The agreement between BCCI and PCB will also extend to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in Pakistan.
The arrangement will also cover next year’s women’s World Cup in India and the T20 World Cup in 2026, to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Why the delay in announcing the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule
India declined to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled for February-March in Pakistan, citing security concerns. Since the tragic Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, which resulted in the deaths of 150 individuals, Indian teams have not competed in Pakistan. The last bilateral cricket match between the two nations took place in 2012.
Traveling to Pakistan requires clearance from the Indian government, which has consistently upheld the current situation. Following a series of discreet negotiations, this decision was anticipated as the sport’s governing body had remained largely silent on the contentious issue under the previous leadership of chairman Greg Barclay.
With Jay Shah assuming office on December 1, it became crucial for all parties involved, including the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and the broadcasters, to finalize arrangements for the 50-over tournament, the last edition of which was held in the UK in 2017.
This announcement marks the first significant decision of Shah’s leadership. The BCCI’s position has been well-known, but discussions prolonged due to the PCB’s unwillingness to accept what it viewed as a “one-sided” proposal for neutral venues. The PCB, led by Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, was adamant about preserving its standing among the local populace.
Although the PCB had previously sent its team to India for the ODI World Cup last year and opposed the hybrid model, it ultimately agreed to it on reciprocal terms. The PCB had also suggested that it would require a larger share of the annual revenue distribution to meet India’s demands for the hybrid model, but there have been no updates on whether this aspect has been deliberated or accepted.
