The Indian Cricket Team’s recent victory in the second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has set the stage for a highly anticipated match against Pakistan in the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has submitted its proposal for the tournament, scheduling an India-Pakistan clash at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on 1 March 2025. However, the participation of the Indian team is still uncertain, pending approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). According to a member of the ICC board quoted by PTI, all participating countries’ board leaders, except for BCCI, have pledged their full support, but BCCI will seek guidance from the government before providing an update to the ICC.
Pakistan is set to host the ICC event from 19 February to 9 March, with 10 March designated as a reserve day for the final ICC event. India has been grouped with Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand in Group A, while Australia, South Africa, England, and Afghanistan are in Group B. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had previously submitted a 15-match schedule for the T20 World Cup final, with all of India’s games scheduled in Lahore for security and logistical reasons.
The draft includes seven games in Lahore, three in Karachi, and five in Rawalpindi. The opening match will take place in Karachi, with two semifinals in Karachi and Rawalpindi, and the final in Lahore. All India matches, including the semifinal if the team qualifies, will be held in Lahore. Pakistan co-hosted the Asia Cup in 2023, just before the 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup, in a ‘Hybrid Model’ with Sri Lanka, as India played its Asia Cup matches in Sri Lanka.