The ICC has confirmed that the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan and a neutral venue. This decision follows a new policy for matches involving India and Pakistan during the 2024-2027 rights cycle.
The ICC stated on Thursday, “India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue.” This policy will apply to several tournaments, including the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in February-March 2025, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India), and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka).
The ICC also announced that Pakistan will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028. In this case, neutral venues will also be used for India-Pakistan matches. Moreover, Cricket Australia has been granted hosting rights for a senior ICC women’s event scheduled between 2029 and 2031.
The ICC will finalize the schedule for the 2025 Champions Trophy soon. Pakistan, the defending champions, will aim to retain their title after defeating India in the 2017 final. The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and host Pakistan.
Due to political tensions, India has not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between the two nations took place in India in 2012-13. Since then, India and Pakistan have only competed in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups, meeting on neutral grounds.
The ICC’s neutral venue policy ensures that both nations can continue participating in major tournaments while avoiding political challenges. This step will allow global cricket fans to witness the high-stakes rivalry between India and Pakistan.
