Champions Trophy 2025: Will Tournament Be Hosted In Hybrid Mode In Pakistan & UAE?

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The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan from February to March, but after the Indian team was not allowed to travel to their neighbouring country for the 2023 Asia Cup, there are doubts if the team will be given clearance even this time.

India has not travelled to Pakistan for any form of cricket nor have they hosted their arch-rivals in any format since the three-match T20I series in January 2013. India have in fact not visited their neighbours since 2006 when they met their rivals in a Test series.

However, Pakistan travelled to India last year for the ODI World Cup, where they played 9 matches across five venues, including Ahmedabad, where they extended their losing streak against India.

Just a couple of months before the World Cup, Asia Cup was held in hybrid model after the Indian government didn't allow Rohit Sharma & Co to travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup, a tournament in which India played all their matches, including two against Pakistan, in Sri Lanka.

Will the Champions Trophy 2025 be held in Hybrid Model?

While that was the Asia Cup, for which the call was taken by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the International Cricket Council (ICC) has still maintained that Pakistan will host the 8-Team tournament. However, a report suggest an hybrid mode could still be an option with UAE likely to host India's matches.

According to a report by PTI, the Champions Trophy 2025 in hybrid model is still an option as India's participation cannot be decided by the ICC if there is a government policy against it. So, there could be hybrid model like the 2023 Asia Cup.

The report further added that February and March are two ideal months to play cricket in the UAE, where three international stadiums are ready for use, allowing the Middle East country to host matches in a 'Hybrid Model' in case India doesn't want to travel to Pakistan.

In Champions Trophy 2025, the eight teams are expected to be divided into two groups of four teams each, and India's group matches could well be held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

The Champions Trophy, which originally started in 1998 as the 'Mini World Cup', is played between top eight teams in the ICC ODI Rankings. The last edition was held back in 2017 in England and Wales as the ICC couldn't schedule the tournament in an already packed calendar due to lucrative T20 leagues across the world.

(With PTI inputs)