New Delhi: Pakistan is set to host the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. However, the Indian government’s choice to refrain from sending the Indian cricket team to Pakistan means that all of India’s matches will take place in Dubai. Should India advance to the knockout stage, both the semi-finals and the final will also be relocated to Dubai. Originally, the opening ceremony and the captains’ photoshoot were scheduled to occur in Pakistan, but recent updates indicate that these events have been canceled.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma will not be attending the opening ceremony or photo shoot in Pakistan. The stadiums assigned for the events are still under construction. Furthermore, international media reports indicate that the postponement of the opening events was affected by the late arrival of teams such as England and Australia to Pakistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) previously announced that Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore would be transferred to the ICC by February 11. However, today was originally designated as the final deadline for the stadium handovers, highlighting the PCB’s last-minute actions.
Additionally, the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, which is set to host the opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand, is also yet to be fully ready. PCB claims that only final touch-up work remains in Lahore, while also three stadiums are undergoing round-the-clock renovations in different shifts.
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