Ever since the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced its decision on the hybrid model for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, there has been speculation about where India will play their matches in the tournament.
The tournament will be played in a hybrid model as per the new ICC ruling and India will play its share of matches outside Pakistan at a neutral venue. It is believed that the BCCI and the Conference Coordination Board have almost finalized the neutral venue and it is likely to be Dubai, UAE.
India will play Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Dubai
Earlier, it was speculated that Colombo was the favorite to host the Champions Trophy as a neutral venue. Colombo also successfully hosted India’s matches in the 2023 Asia Cup where the tournament was held in a hybrid model with Pakistan being the hosts.
However, a report by Pakistan Cricket said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Pakistan Cricket Board have reached a final agreement to host all matches of the Men in Blue at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
All parties concerned also support Dubai hosting the Games for logistical reasons and Dubai’s experience in hosting large matches in the recent past. It is believed that all parties have agreed that Dubai will be the venue for the Men in Blue Games.
India will play three matches in the group stage of the Champions Trophy. They must finish in the top two places in their group in order to qualify for the semi-finals. This means that Dubai is nominated to host at least three matches of the tournament, all of which will be in the group stage.
If the Men in Blue qualify further, Dubai will host more than three matches. The blockbuster showdown between India and Pakistan will also be held at this venue, though it is not official yet.
What is the new decision of the International Criminal Court?
The ICC issued a resolution at its board meeting a few days ago which was agreed upon by all boards. Under the decision, India and Pakistan will not travel to their countries to attend ICC activities scheduled in these two countries until 2027.
Instead, teams will play their matches at a neutral venue which also includes knockout matches. The decision begins with the 2025 Champions Cup early next year. It will be available for women’s ICC events as well.
This rule also applies to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup awarded to Pakistan. But the tournament is likely to be held in a hybrid manner.
India Group for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
The Men in Blue were placed alongside Bangladesh, New Zealand and hosts Pakistan in the tournament. As per the draft schedule, they are likely to face Bangladesh on February 20 in the opening match of the tournament.
Eight teams are participating in the tournament, with four teams randomly divided into two groups. The participating teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and the host, Pakistan.
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