India will play its Champions Trophy 2025 matches in the United Arab Emirates. The decision, although widely expected, was taken after Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the PCB, met Sheikh Nahyan al Mubarak in Pakistan. Sheikh Nahyan is a senior minister of the UAE and also the director of the Emirates Cricket Board.
“The PCB has chosen the United Arab Emirates as a neutral venue for the Champions Trophy,” said PCB spokesperson Amir Mir.
Apart from Pakistan, the other teams in India’s group are Bangladesh and New Zealand. India will play Bangladesh on February 20 and New Zealand on March 2. The first semi-final, if India reaches that stage, will also be played in the United Arab Emirates. If India fails to qualify, the match will be held in Pakistan. The final, on March 9, is scheduled for Lahore, with the condition of holding it in the United Arab Emirates if India makes it that far.
Pakistan will begin the tournament on February 19 when they take on New Zealand in Karachi. Pakistan’s other league match, against Bangladesh, will be played in Rawalpindi on February 27.
The other group is made up of Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa. The matches of both groups, apart from India, will be played in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. All of India’s matches are likely to be played in Dubai.
The two semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 (without reserve day) and March 5 (with reserve day). The final on March 9 also has a reserve day.
The deadlock was broken after the parties involved agreed that the hybrid model of Indian matches would not be held in Pakistan but in the United Arab Emirates. In return, Pakistan’s matches in ICC events hosted by India until 2027 will also be held at a neutral venue. In both cases, all matches include elimination matches, such as the semi-finals and the final.
The agreement begins with the Champions Trophy and will apply to the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India and the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. It could also apply to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next cycle of events that has now been awarded to Pakistan.
