Champions Trophy 2025 : Dubai Selected As Neutral Venue With Pakistan's Approval, ICC To Announce Soon

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Champions Trophy 2025: Days after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) agreeing to a hybrid model for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the neutral venue for the tournament has now been reportedly selected.

As per a report by Revsportz, Dubai, which was on expected lines, has been selected as the venue for the tournament. Pakistan has no problem whatsoever with the venue and the Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) has always wanted Dubai to be the venue.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will ratify the formalities very soon.

The highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to kick off on February 19, 2025, offering thrilling cricket battles among the world's leading teams. Hosted by Pakistan, the competition will see eight teams split into two groups. The matches will take place across the venues of Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.

According to the provisional schedule, Pakistan and New Zealand will open the tournament on February 19 in Karachi, with India beginning their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. The eagerly awaited India-Pakistan showdown is slated for February 23. While the PCB continues its renovation efforts at stadiums across Pakistan, the work is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

The ICC has already announced that all India-Pakistan matches in ICC events hosted by either country will be held at neutral venues through 2027. This arrangement marks a significant shift, as it will be the first time the Indian cricket team will play Pakistan outside its own country during an ICC event, even when acting as the host or co-host.

''India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, 19 December," the statement said.

"This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka)'', the statement further added.