India Unlikely to Travel to Pakistan for 2025 ICC Champions Trophy

The Indian cricket team is unlikely to participate in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) planning to request the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate the matches to either Dubai or Sri Lanka, reports emerged.

The BCCI is set to officially communicate this request to the ICC.

Scheduled to take place from February to March 2025, the ICC Champions Trophy will be hosted by Pakistan. India has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup due to strained relations between the two nations. The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was held in India from December 2012 to January 2013. Since then, the teams have only faced each other in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup.

While Pakistan holds the hosting rights, some matches in the tournament may take place in the UAE or Sri Lanka, marking the Champions Trophy's return to the cricket calendar for the first time since 2017.

Last month, the Pakistan Cricket Board submitted a draft schedule to the ICC, proposing that India's matches be held in Lahore, including a significant game against Pakistan on March 1. However, there has been no official confirmation from the BCCI regarding travel arrangements at present.

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