Will India travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy? PCB chief reveals

While Pakistan is getting ready to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, there is a big question of whether the Indian national cricket team will travel to Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has opened up his views on it.

Pakistan will host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 from February 19 and March 9. If Pakistan hosts all the matches in the upcoming Champions Trophy, Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi will be venues. 

Pakistan previously hosted an ICC tournament in 1996 during the ICC Cricket World Cup, which Sri Lanka won after beating Australia in the final. 

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The last time the Indian cricket team traveled to Pakistan was in 2008

Due to the political tensions between the two countries, India haven’t played a bilateral series against Pakistan since January 2013. Meanwhile, the BCCI hasn’t sent the Indian cricket team to Pakistan since their tour in Pakistan in 2008 during the Asia Cup.   

So, the PCB has a big concern about India’s presence in Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. If India deny coming to Pakistan for the upcoming ICC tournament, the PCB will be forced to shift India’s matches to other neighbouring countries. Sri Lanka or the United Arab Emirates can be good alternative options for Pakistan in this case, but the PCB can then suffer a good amount of profit. 

The Indian government is likely to take the decision on India’s fate to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Previously, the Indian government didn’t allow the Indian national cricket team to travel to Pakistan, including during the Asia Cup 2023, where India played all matches in Sri Lanka. 

The Indian team should come: PCB chairman

However, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is confident in team India’s presence in Pakistan during the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. 

Naqvi said, "The Indian team should come. I don't see them cancel or postpone coming here and we are confident we will host all the teams in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.” 

There are also some questions about the stadiums' complete availability during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. While the stadiums’ reconstructions are running, Naqvi is also hopeful about it. 

The PCB chief said, “The stadiums will also be ready to host the matches on schedule and any remaining work would be completed after the tournament. In a way, you can say that we are going to have a brand new stadium."