Champions Trophy 2025: BCCI and PCB finally agree to host India-Pakistan games at a neutral venue

After a month long tussle between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and International Cricket Council (ICC), the three parties have finally build a consensus around the venue for India-Pakistan games in major ICC tournaments, including in the Champions Trophy 2025 which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan. 

Way clear for India-Pakistan games in Champions Trophy

The three involved parties have finally built a consensus that the upcoming India-Pakistan matches in the current 2024-27 cycle will be held in a neutral country. The ICC in a statement today said that the arrangement will be applicable to the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (Pakistan), ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (India and Sri Lanka). This will automatically mean that the India-Pakistan clash during the T20 World Cup in 2026 will be held in Sri Lanka. Additionally, Pakistan have been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will remain the same.

Also Read: Pakistan’s Prime Minister shares his stance on the Champions Trophy 2025 amid PCB vs BCCI dispute

Venue still unclear for IND vs Pak in Champions Trophy: UAE favourites?

While a consensus has been reached to host the matches between India and Pakistan in a neutral country, the host for these matches in the champions trophy is still unknown. BCCI has reportedly favoured UAE to host these matches, PCB, on the other hand, is advocating Sri Lanka to host these matches. However, due to logistical convenience, the hosting rights for these matches can ultimately go in favour of UAE. If the decision goes in favour of the UAE, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is the most likely candidate to host the match considering the size of the stadium and the sheer number of people who attend the match in-person. 8 nations have qualified for the upcoming Champions Trophy. 

Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: Understanding the hybrid model and its implications on India-Pakistan rivalry