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

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

All clear for India-Pakistan matches in Champions Trophy

The three parties involved have finally reached a consensus that the next India-Pakistan matches in the current 2024-27 cycle will be held in a neutral country. The ICC in a statement today said the agreement will be applicable to the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy (Pakistan), the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup (India) and the Men’s T20 World Cup in ‘ICC 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. In addition, Pakistan has been awarded the hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where the neutral venue arrangements will remain the same.

Read also: Pakistan PM shares his stance on Champions Trophy 2025 amid PCB-BCCI spat

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

Although a consensus has been reached to host the matches between India and Pakistan in a neutral country, the host of these matches in the Champions Trophy is still unknown. BCCI has been reported to have favoured United Arab Emirates to host these matches, PCB on the other hand advocates for Sri Lanka to host these matches. However, due to logistical convenience, the hosting rights for these matches may go in favor of the UAE. If the decision goes in favor of the United Arab Emirates, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is the most likely candidate to host the match given the size of the stadium and the large number of people who attend the match in person. 8 nations have qualified for the next Champions Trophy.

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