The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a hybrid model for the 2025 Champions Trophy, with matches set to be hosted across Pakistan and Dubai. This agreement comes after talks between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The 2025 Champions Trophy will feature 10 matches in Pakistan, while all of India’s league-stage games, including the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash, will take place in Dubai. The tournament’s semifinal and final will also be held in Dubai. However, if India is eliminated after the league stage, the latter stages of the tournament will shift to Pakistan, with matches set for Lahore and Rawalpindi.
The agreement also covers the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan will not travel to India for their league-stage match against India. Instead, the match will be played in Colombo, as Sri Lanka is co-hosting the tournament with the BCCI. The decision follows the PCB’s earlier demand that if India refused to play in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, they would reciprocate by not traveling to India for the 2026 World Cup.
While the PCB will not receive any financial compensation for this arrangement, the agreement includes the provision for Pakistan to host an ICC Women’s tournament after 2027. This hybrid model, supported by all parties—ICC, PCB, and BCCI—ensures the smooth execution of both events while addressing geopolitical and logistical concerns.
The 2025 Champions Trophy will run from February 19 to March 9, with eight teams competing in two groups. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semifinals, followed by the final. This hybrid hosting model mirrors the setup used for the 2023 Men’s 50-over Asia Cup, where India’s matches were held in Colombo, while Pakistan hosted the rest of the tournament.
This development marks a significant step in fostering international cricket cooperation amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, with all involved parties expressing satisfaction with the resolution.
