PCB mark Lahore as only venue for India games at Champions Trophy 2025

The PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) has come forward and earmarked Lahore as the only venue for India’s matches in 2025’s Champions Trophy. The marquee event is set to be hosted by Pakistan and is slated to kick off in February 2025, apart from Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi are the two other designated venues.

However, there are certain apprehensions about India travelling to Pakistan for the tournament, given the political tensions between both countries. It is worth noting that the BCCI denied travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2023, and the PCB chose Lahore as the venue for India matches, keeping in mind the venue’s distance from the border. 

The Indian fans can cross through the Wagah Border to watch their side play without much difficulty if the games are played in Lahore. Furthermore, only one destination was chosen to avoid travel hassles.

Interestingly, Pakistan are the defending champions of the Champions Trophy, having won the tournament in 2017, defeating India in the summit clash. If the event ends up being held in Pakistan, it will be the first time that the country hosts it. It was allotted to them in 2008 but was moved out due to security reasons as South Africa hosted it in the subsequent year. 

Furthermore, the Indian team has not travelled to Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008 for security concerns and later for a diplomatic standoff between the countries. A similar case happened in the Asia Cup in 2023, when the tournament was changed to a hybrid model of two venues, with the Indian team playing their games in Sri Lanka.

The tournament features the top eight teams in the ICC rankings, with the sides being split into groups of two with four teams each in a group. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semis, with the winners playing the summit clash for the title. "The event is short, sharp, and highly competitive," the ICC was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.