Big Blow For Pakistan! Lahore Set To Lose Rights To Host Champions Trophy Final If India Qualify: Report

The 2025 Champions Trophy is heading towards an extraordinary situation where the venue of the final will not be known until just about two days before the summit clash, with Lahore's hopes of hosting the marquee encounter dependent on India not qualifying.

According to a report by the Telegraph.co.uk, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has allocated the final to the Gaddafi Stadium, with Karachi's National Stadium and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium also setting host matches. The tournament is set to take place from February 19-March 9, with India and Pakistan set to go head-to-head on 1st March in the group stage.

With four months left for the tournament, there is no confirmation on India's travel plans putting Pakistan's hopes of hosting the tournament in major doubt. For those uninitiated, the Men in Blue have not played any cricket on Pakistani soil since 2008 due to political tensions between the countries.

Last year, the 2023 Asia Cup was shifted to a hybrid model with Sri Lanka acting as co-hosts. All matches of the Indian cricket team took place in Sri Lanka with the final pre-allocated in Lahore. While the Champions Trophy could be headed for a similar situation, the final could still remain in Lahore if India do not qualify. This means the venue of the summit clash will only be known after the second semi-final on March 6. The same will be the case for one semi-final as if India make the last four, one match will have to take place outside Pakistan.

All games of the Indian cricket team have been awarded to Lahore due to the city's close proximity to the border, but as things stand, there is no indication of the Rohit Sharma-led team traveling to Pakistan for the major event.

The same report reveals that all matches of the Indian team could be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including the blockbuster clash against Pakistan. The final will take place in Dubai if India does manage to qualify. It is worth noting that the Men in Blue have reached the final of each of the three last three ICC Events (2023 WTC, 2023 WC, 2024 T20 World Cup) as well as the last two editions of the Champions Trophy in 2013 and 2017.

However, it is stated that the organisers are confident that all matches of the tournament will take place in Pakistan.

On Sunday (October 6) while addressing the local media, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi expressed confidence that India will travel to Pakistan for the mega event.

"The Indian team should come. I don't see them cancel or postpone coming here and we are confident we will host all the teams in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. The stadiums will also be ready to host the matches on schedule and any remaining work would be completed after the tournament. In a way, you can say that we are going to have a brand new stadium," said Naqvi.

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