Pakistan is set to host the Champions Trophy in February 2025, marking the return of the ICC tournament to international cricket after eight years. The top seven ranked ODI teams, along with the host nation, will participate in the tournament. With the BCCI eyeing another title haul after lifting the T20 World Cup last month, board secretary Jay Shah confirmed Rohit Sharma as the captain for the event. However, there is a possibility that India might not participate in the Champions Trophy due to their reluctance to travel to Pakistan.
The Champions Trophy holds significant importance for Indian cricket, as it will be Gautam Gambhir’s first major assignment as the new head coach of the Indian team. It could also mark the end of the white-ball careers of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who both retired from T20Is after the World Cup win in June.
India’s reluctance to travel to Pakistan stems from the ongoing political tension between the two neighboring countries. The Indian team has not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, and the last bilateral series between the two nations took place in January 2013. Since then, India and Pakistan have only clashed at ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup.
Given the political climate, the BCCI is likely to request the ICC to hold the tournament in either Sri Lanka or the UAE. This is similar to the hybrid model proposed for the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup, where Pakistan and Sri Lanka jointly hosted the tournament, with India playing all their matches in Sri Lanka.
BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla stated that the Indian team would only travel to Pakistan for the ICC tournament if permitted by the central government. He emphasized, “We will do whatever the Government of India will tell us to do. We send our team only when the Government of India permits us to do so. So we will go according to the decision of the Indian government.”
With the Indian government unlikely to permit travel to Pakistan, the BCCI’s hopes rest on the ICC’s decision. If the ICC is unwilling to change the tournament’s venue, India might withdraw from the Champions Trophy. In such a scenario, Sri Lanka would replace India in the competition. The 2002 champions missed the cut after finishing ninth in the 2023 ODI World Cup points table group stage. This would be the first time Sri Lanka did not qualify for the tournament.
