Lahore is set to be assigned as the Champions Trophy 2025 final |Courtesy - Pakistan Cricket Board
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Dubai will host India's matches at the 2025 Champions Trophy
- Lahore will host the final
- India will face Pakistan on February 23
After a long deadlock and months of standstill, the 2025 Champions Trophy saga has finally concluded after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be the neutral venue for the mega event and co-host the tournament with Pakistan.
For those unversed, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed last week that India and Pakistan will play their matches in ICC events hosted by each other at neutral venues. The model will apply for the 2025 Champions Trophy as well as the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup and the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, Dubai is set to host all matches of the Indian team in the group stage. The blockbuster India-Pakistan clash is scheduled for February 23, while the Men in Blue will open their campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh before concluding their campaign against New Zealand on March 2.
If they qualify, India will play the first semi-final of the tournament on March 4 in the United Arab Emirates. The match will not have a reserve day. If the 2024 T20 World Cup Champions fail to qualify, the match will take place in Pakistan. Moreover, the second semi-final will take place on March 5 in Pakistan and will have a reserve day.
The final will take place on March 9 in Lahore and will have a reserve day. However, there is a provision for the summit clash to take place in the UAE if India is one of the two teams playing in the tournament.
Apart from the matches India is involved in, the entire tournament will take place in Pakistan, with Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi assigned as the three host cities.
The 2025 Champions Trophy is the first ICC event Pakistan will host after 29 years. India has not played any cricket on Pakistani soil since the 2008 Asia Cup.
Meanwhile, major renovation drives are taking place at both the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore and National Stadium in Karachi.
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