December 24th 2024.
The International Cricket Council has just announced that India will be playing all their matches for the upcoming Champions Trophy in Dubai. This includes their highly-anticipated match against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23. This news comes after last week's report by PTI, stating that India would be playing in Dubai for the entire tournament, including the semifinal and final if they make it that far.
As expected, India and Pakistan have been put in the same group, along with New Zealand and Bangladesh. The other group, Group B, consists of South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan, and England. The tournament is set to kick off on February 19 in Karachi with the host team, Pakistan, taking on New Zealand. The final match is scheduled for March 9 and will be held in Lahore. This prestigious 50-over event, last played in 2017, will feature a total of 15 matches, with at least 10 of them being played in Pakistan.
The three hosting venues for the tournament in Pakistan will be Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi. The second semifinal will be held at the newly refurbished Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The ICC has also stated that if India qualifies for the final, it will be played in Dubai instead of Lahore. Both the semifinals and the final will have reserve days in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
India's first match will be against Bangladesh on February 20, followed by their highly-anticipated match against Pakistan on February 23. Their final group match will be against New Zealand on March 2. In Group B, the action will begin on February 21 with Afghanistan taking on South Africa in Karachi. The big weekend will start off with a clash between rivals England and Australia in Lahore on February 22.
The eight teams participating in the Champions Trophy are the top eight teams from the points table of the ODI World Cup held in India last year. The ICC has also made sure to have reserve days for both the semifinals and the final to avoid any delays.
The announcement of the schedule comes after a long discussion over the hosting of the tournament. The ICC has decided to keep India's matches at neutral venues, fulfilling their desire, while also having a similar arrangement for Pakistan during ICC events in India till 2027. This hybrid model will also be followed for the 2025 women's ODI World Cup in India and the T20 World Cup in 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
India has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which 150 people lost their lives. The two countries' last bilateral engagement was in 2012. The Indian government has also been firm in their decision of not sending the team to Pakistan due to security concerns. The PCB, on the other hand, had initially opposed the idea of neutral venues but eventually agreed to it on reciprocal grounds. Last year, Pakistan had sent their team to India for the ODI World Cup.
Here is the full schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy:
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 – First semi-final, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
5 Mar – Second semi-final, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
9 Mar – Final – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
The first semifinal will involve India if they qualify, while the second semifinal will involve Pakistan if they qualify. This is a much-awaited tournament for cricket fans all over the world, and we can't wait to see who comes out on top.
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