Champions Trophy: India to face Pakistan on Feb 23 at Dubai

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match set for February 23, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The tournament will feature a "hybrid model" for the first time, following extensive negotiations between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Due to ongoing security concerns, India will play all its matches at neutral venues, including the knockout rounds, while Pakistan will host the rest of the tournament.

India will be placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand. The tournament will begin on February 19, 2025, with Pakistan facing New Zealand in Karachi. India’s first match will be against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai, followed by the India-Pakistan clash on February 23, also in Dubai. India’s final group-stage match will be on March 2, 2025, against New Zealand. All of India’s group-stage games, as well as any potential knockout matches, will be held at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, a venue selected to resolve the impasse over hosting arrangements for India’s participation.

The neutral venue model applies to all future ICC events where India and Pakistan are involved until 2027, including the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, and the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup in Pakistan. The decision to hold India’s matches in Dubai was reached after meetings between PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and UAE officials. Despite the ongoing tensions, the PCB agreed to the hybrid model to allow the Champions Trophy to proceed while ensuring India’s security concerns were addressed.

Group B of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will include Afghanistan, Australia, England, and South Africa. Matches for these teams will be played at venues in Pakistan, including Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. While all Group B games will be played in Pakistan, India’s games are confined to Dubai to adhere to the neutral venue arrangement. Each group will have four teams, and the top two from each group will advance to the semi-finals, which will take place on March 4 and 5, 2025.

The semi-finals will be held at two venues: one in Dubai and the other in Lahore, Pakistan. The final of the tournament is scheduled for March 9, 2025, in Lahore. However, if India qualifies for the final, the match will be relocated to Dubai, ensuring a neutral venue for their participation. This change ensures that India’s security concerns remain a priority while maintaining the tournament’s competitive integrity.

The tournament will be played across three venues in Pakistan—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—while all matches involving India will be held in Dubai. The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will be the first ICC event held in Pakistan since the 1996 Cricket World Cup. The hybrid model, which resolves the ongoing dispute over hosting India in Pakistan, also ensures that future tournaments involving India and Pakistan will follow similar arrangements, with neutral venues for their matches.