The ICC Champions Trophy schedule has been announced ahead of the tournament’s long-awaited resumption in 2025.
The 50-over competition will return to the international calendar for the first time since 2017, and Pakistan will host a global cricket event for the first time since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
The 2025 tournament will mirror the format used in 2017, with eight teams divided into two groups of four. Each team plays one other team in a pool, after which the top two teams advance to the semi-finals.
The semi-final winners will advance to the final on March 9 in Lahore, where they will compete to win the Champions Trophy and the iconic white jacket.
Defending champions and hosts Pakistan will be placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, India and New Zealand and will face off in the tournament’s opening match in Karachi on February 19.
Group B consists of Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa, with England’s first match being against arch-rivals Australia in Lahore on February 22, followed by the must-see match between Pakistan and India in Dubai on February 23.
Where will the match be held?
In Pakistan, matches will be held at stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi, while matches involving India will be held in Dubai.
The neutral venue in the United Arab Emirates was chosen after the ICC confirmed that all matches between Pakistan and India in ICC tournaments, including next year’s Women’s World Cup, will be played at neutral venues until at least 2027. I accepted it.
Political tensions between the two countries have led to strained sporting relations, with India, the richest and most powerful cricketing nation, not having played a match in Pakistan since the 2008 Asian Cup.
As a result, India will play in semi-final 1 in Dubai if they qualify, while Pakistan will be allocated semi-final 2 in Lahore if they advance. The final, scheduled to be held in Lahore on March 9, will also be moved to the UAE if India qualifies.
India will play Champions Trophy match in UAE
What is the ICC Champions Trophy?
Basically a mini World Cup for the over 50s.
While the Word Cup is undoubtedly bloated, with the 2023 edition taking over six weeks to complete, the Champions Trophy is short and sharp, completing in about two weeks and leaving no dust behind.
Pakistan are the defending champions having defeated their great rivals India in the final at Kia Oval six years ago, while India and Australia have won the most titles each with two.
ICC Champions Trophy Schedule
Group A
- February 19: Pakistan vs. New Zealand (Karachi)
- February 20: Bangladesh vs. India (Dubai)
- February 23: Pakistan vs. India (Dubai)
- February 24: Bangladesh v New Zealand (Rawalpindi)
- February 27: Pakistan v Bangladesh (Rawalpindi)
- March 2: New Zealand vs India (Dubai)
Group B
- February 21: Afghanistan vs. South Africa (Karachi)
- February 22: Australia vs England (Lahore)
- February 25: Australia vs South Africa (Rawalpindi)
- February 26: Afghanistan vs England (Lahore)
- February 28: Afghanistan v Australia (Lahore)
- March 1: South Africa vs England (Karachi)
Semi-final
- March 4: Semi-final 1, A1 vs B2 (Dubai)
- March 5: Semi-final 2, A2 v B1 (Lahore)
final
- March 9: Semi-final 1 winner vs Semi-final 2 winner (Lahore)
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