The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Thursday that the upcoming Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 will be played under a hybrid model, with matches between India and Pakistan taking place at neutral venue.
This decision, confirmed by the ICC Board, is part of an agreement covering ICC events from 2025 to 2027.
The agreement will apply to several major ICC events, including the 2025 Men’s Champions Trophy, which will be hosted by Pakistan, the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup in India, and the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
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Additionally, Pakistan has been awarded the hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, which will also follow the neutral venue arrangement.
The neutral venues for these games will be proposed by the host boards and approved by the ICC.
In a separate development, a report from ESPNcricinfo suggests that a triangular T20I series involving India, Pakistan, and another Asian or Associate nation could be organized at neutral venues. This would serve as compensation for Pakistan's inability to host India’s matches during the Champions Trophy.
The 2025 Champions Trophy is scheduled to begin on February 19, although the official tournament schedule has yet to be released due to ongoing uncertainties regarding the venues.
Earlier, it emerged that Pakistan will host 10 matches of the tournament, while all three of India's league matches, including the much-anticipated clash against Pakistan, will be held in Dubai.
Additionally, the semifinal and final of the tournament are also slated to take place in Dubai. If India is eliminated after the league stage, the semifinal and final will instead be held in Lahore and Rawalpindi in Pakistan.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have kept the two countries from playing bilateral series since 2012-13, with both teams only meeting in ICC events and the Asia Cup. India has not travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup due to strained political relations.
A similar hybrid model was used during the 2023 men's 50-over Asia Cup, where India played their matches, including the semi-finals and final, in Colombo, while Pakistan hosted the rest of the tournament.
