ICC release Champions Trophy schedule: India will take on Pakistan in Dubai on February 23

ICC released the schedule of Champions Trophy 2025 on Tuesday. The tournament, to be held in a hybrid model, will start from February 19 and run till March 9. 15 matches will be played in 19 days. A reserve day has also been kept for the second semi-final and the final. The group match between India and Pakistan will be held in Dubai on February 23.

India will play all its matches in Dubai, Bangladesh and New Zealand are also in the team's group. One semi-final will also be played in Dubai. If India reaches the final, this match will also be held in Dubai. While the remaining 10 matches of the tournament will be held in Pakistan. The Champions Trophy is going to be held after 8 years, in 2017, Pakistan won the title by defeating India in the final for the last time.

ICC Champions Trophy schedule 2025

Date	Match	Venue
19 Feb	Pakistan v New Zealand	National Stadium, Karachi
20 Feb	Bangladesh v India	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
21 Feb	Afghanistan v South Africa	National Stadium, Karachi
22 Feb	Australia v England	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
23 Feb	Pakistan v India	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
24 Feb	Bangladesh v New Zealand	Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
25 Feb	Australia v South Africa	Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
26 Feb	Afghanistan v England	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
27 Feb	Pakistan v Bangladesh	Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
28 Feb	Afghanistan v Australia	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
1 Mar	South Africa v England	National Stadium, Karachi
2 Mar	New Zealand v India	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
4 Mar	Semi-final 1	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
5 Mar	Semi-final 2	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
9 Mar	Final	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore***

 

India will start campaign against Bangladesh

India is in Group-A. Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand are in the team's group. At the same time, Australia, England, South Africa and Afghanistan are in the second group. There will be 2 semi-finals on 4 and 5 March, while the final will be played on 9 March.

India-Pakistan teams will not play in each other's country

India and Pakistan teams will not play cricket in each other's country. All the matches of India in the Champions Trophy 2025 will be played at neutral venues. The Pakistani team will also not come to India for any tournament till 2027. Its matches will also be held at neutral venues.

Information about this decision of ICC came to light on Thursday, 19 December. This decision was taken earlier in the meeting. The 2025 Women's ODI World Cup is to be held in India, and the T20 World Cup in 2026 is to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

Earlier, when the ICC told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about organizing the Champions Trophy 2025 in a hybrid model, the PCB had demanded from the ICC not to send the team to India, which has now been accepted by the ICC.

All 15 members agreed for hybrid model

A meeting of all the board members was held on 5 December in the presence of ICC's new chairman Jay Shah. Shah also reached the headquarters in Dubai this month. In the meeting, all 15 board members agreed for the hybrid model. Pakistan also did not oppose the decision in the meeting.

Why was the decision delayed

Initially, India refused to send its team to Pakistan for this tournament. Pakistan was adamant at first that India would have to come to Pakistan, but after India's tough stand, the Pakistan Cricket Board has finally agreed to the hybrid model.

Ever since Pakistan got the hosting of the Champions Trophy, it was being speculated that the Indian team might refuse to go to Pakistan. India had earlier refused to go to Pakistan to play the Asia Cup in 2023. Then India's matches in the Asia Cup were held in Sri Lanka.

After this, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had first proposed to hold all India's matches in Lahore and send the players to India after the match. When India did not accept it, PCB also refused the hybrid model.