The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be missing fair bit of glamour off the field as Bollywood stars like Anushka Sharma and Athiya Shetty are unlikely to be present in Dubai for Team India’s matches. Anushka, Athiya or Ritika Sajdeh are not going to accompany their husbands Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma according to the new diktat by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The BCCI’s new travel policy is coming into effect from the Champions Trophy which begins next week with the team getting ready to leave for Dubai on Saturday (February 15). The Champions Trophy is being hosted by Pakistan but all of India’s matches along with a semifinal and possibly the final taking place in Dubai under the ‘hybrid’ model.
India begins their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20, followed by the much-anticipated clash with Pakistan on February 23 and the final group-stage match against New Zealand on March 2. Since the tournament lasts just over three weeks, even considering the final on March 9, the BCCI has decided not to allow families to accompany the players. Under the new policy, families can join players only on tours lasting 45 days or more, and even then, only for a maximum of two weeks.
“If anything changes, it’s a different matter, but as of now, players are unlikely to be accompanied by their wives or partners. One senior player had inquired about it but was informed that the policy will be strictly followed,” a senior BCCI source was quoted as saying by PTI news agency.
BCCI releases policy document for Team India (Senior Men)
All players are expected to travel with the team to and from matches and practice sessions. Separate travel arrangements with families are discouraged to maintain discipline and team cohesion. Exceptions, if any, must be… pic.twitter.com/5WohqiELjR
— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2025
“Since the tour is less than a month long, families will not be allowed. However, if exceptions are made, the individual will have to bear all expenses, as the BCCI will not cover any costs,” he added.
According to the BCCI policy document: “Players on overseas tours lasting more than 45 days may be joined by their partners and children (under 18) for one visit per series (format-wise), limited to a two-week period. Any deviation from this policy requires prior approval from the coach, captain, and GM Operations. Additional expenses beyond the permitted period will not be covered by the BCCI.”
However, families will be allowed during the five-Test tour of England in June-August. The exact two-week window for their stay will be determined later, according to the report.
The new policy was introduced after India’s disastrous 2020-21 tour of Australia, where the team suffered a 1-3 series loss, sparking speculation about a lack of discipline and cohesion within the squad.
A senior BCCI official stated that most of these regulations have already been enforced. “If you notice, no player is allowed to request a private vehicle for practice anymore. All state units have been notified. Similarly, when players assembled in Kolkata for the T20I series and Nagpur for the ODI series against England, they travelled together as a team,” he confirmed.
Additionally, players have adhered to the new rule requiring them to participate in domestic cricket whenever they have breaks from international duty. Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shivam Dube played for Mumbai, while Virat Kohli made his first appearance for Delhi in over 12 years. Rishabh Pant also represented Delhi, KL Rahul played for Karnataka, and Ravindra Jadeja turned up for Saurashtra.
About The Author
