Indian cricket team’s skipper Rohit Sharma is reportedly set to visit Pakistan ahead of the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. According to Indian media outlets, Sharma is expected to take part in various pre-tournament events in Pakistan, including the all-captains’ photoshoot and a press conference, as part of the ICC’s promotional campaign.
If confirmed, this would mark the first time in several years that an Indian cricketer travels to Pakistan for an international event, generating immense excitement among cricket fans in both countries. However, there has been no official confirmation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding Sharma’s visit, and Pakistan has yet to announce its squad for the tournament.
The eight-team ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9, 2025, will feature 15 matches across three Pakistani venues—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—as well as Dubai. The teams are divided into two groups: Group A includes Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B consists of Afghanistan, South Africa, England, and Australia.
The tournament will kick off with the host nation Pakistan facing New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi. India will play its opening match against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20, with the much-awaited clash between archrivals Pakistan and India scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.
In a significant development, the Champions Trophy 2025 will be played under a hybrid model, with India set to play its matches at a neutral venue in Dubai rather than in Pakistan. This decision follows a protracted dispute over security concerns and political tensions, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirming that all India-Pakistan matches in ICC events during the 2024-2027 cycle will be played at neutral venues.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially opposed the hybrid model but later agreed to it, as did the ICC, which also announced similar arrangements for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The PCB was also awarded the hosting rights for the 2028 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, with neutral venues again to be used.
