NEW DELHI, Dec 13: Though no official announcement has yet been made, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is learnt to have given a final approval to a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy to be hosted by Pakistan with India playing all their matches in Dubai and all other matches to be played in Pakistan.
Both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are also claimed to have finally agreed on the hybrid model for the 2025 Champions Trophy, according to media reports. The semi-final and final matches will also be held in Dubai in case India figured. In the event of India eliminated before the knockout stage, semi-final and final matches will take place Pakistan, at Lahore and Rawalpindi, the report said.
The tussle over holding the matches started after the BCCI refused to send the Indian team to play in Pakistan, citing security concerns. However, the PCB denied to accept their demands initially.
“No compensation for PCB for missing the opportunity to host India matches. In return, PCB will get to host an ICC women’s tournament after 2027,” the report added. Earlier, PCB told ICC that if India do not come to Pakistan, they too will not send their team across the border for the T20 World Cup in 2026, a tournament which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
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The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played between February 19 and March 9, with eight teams divided in two groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The PCB had initially proposed Lahore as the venue for the much-anticipated match between Pakistan and India which will now be played in Dubai. Pakistan will be hosting 10 matches other than the knockout matches.
In addition, the BCCI and the PCB have an agreement in principle that Pakistan would not travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup for the India vs Pakistan match. Their games would take place in Sri Lanka as they are co-hosts.
The report suggested the PCB wanted to play their games in Colombo with the venues for the semi-final and final, yet to be finalised.
The ACC Men’s Asia Cup in 2023 was also hosted in a similar hybrid format with Pakistan playing their first few games at home while India played their games in Sri Lanka.
Despite the report, an official announcement is yet to be made regarding the hosting of the tournament that makes its return after seven years. Pakistan come into the tournament as the defending champions having won the 2017 edition by beating India by a mammoth margin of 180 runs.
India and Australia are the most successful sides in this tournament having won two titles each. The Indian team shared the title with Sri Lanka in 2002 and won it in 2013. Australia won their titles in 2006 and 2009.
(Manas Dasgupta)
