- Arch-rivals Pakistan, India to face-off on February 23.
- Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi to be three venues of tournament.
- Three group matches involving India to be played in Dubai.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday unveiled official fixtures and groups for the much-awaited event, Champions Trophy 2025, which would commence on February 19 in Karachi.
The eight-team tournament will feature 15 matches, and will be played across Pakistan and in Dubai, the top cricketing body announced, adding that all matches will be day-night encounters.
In Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three venues to host tournament. Each Pakistan venue will feature three group games apiece, with Lahore hosting the second semi-final.
Lahore will also host the final on March 9, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai. Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.
The three group matches involving India, as well as the first semi-final, will be played in Dubai.
Pakistan take on New Zealand in the Group A tournament opener in Karachi on February 19. The Dubai leg begins the following day with India taking on Bangladesh.
Group B matches will begin on 21 February, with Afghanistan squaring up against the Proteas in Karachi.
A big weekend then kicks off with rivals England and Australia set to clash in Lahore on Saturday (22 February), with the much-anticipated Pakistan-India clash set for the day later.
The eight sides in the Champions Trophy competing for the famous white winners’ jackets are the teams that finished in the top eight positions on the points table of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Group A of the tournament features current Champions Trophy holders and hosts Pakistan, along with India, New Zealand and Bangladesh, while Group B features Cricket World Cup 2023 champions Australia, alongside Afghanistan, England and South Africa.
The final of the tournament, however, is scheduled to be played in Lahore but if India qualify then it will also be held in Dubai.
Reacting to the announcement, ICC Chairman Jay Shah wrote on X: “Very excited for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy to start in February.”
The tournament encountered an obstacle after the Indian government refused to allow its players to visit Pakistan for the mega event, citing security concerns.
However, both sides had resolved the matter by agreeing on a hybrid model, with India playing their matches at a neutral venue rather than in the host country, Pakistan.
Two days earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) picked United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the neutral venue for India’s matches.
Under the agreement, Pakistan will also play at neutral venues in the upcoming ICC tournaments hosted by India.
The agreement will extend to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 hosted by India, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the statement added.
Groups
Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Bangladesh
Group B: South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan, England
Champions Trophy schedule
February 19, Pakistan v New Zealand, Karachi
February 20, Bangladesh v India, Dubai, UAE
February 21, Afghanistan v South Africa, Karachi
February 22, Australia v England, Lahore
February 23, Pakistan v India, Dubai
February 24, Bangladesh v New Zealand, Rawalpindi
February 25, Australia v South Africa, Rawalpindi
February 26, Afghanistan v England, Lahore
February 27, Pakistan v Bangladesh, Rawalpindi
February 28, Afghanistan v Australia, Lahore
March 1, South Africa v England, Karachi
March 2, New Zealand v India, Dubai, UAE
March 4, Semi-final 1, Dubai, UAE
March 5, Semi-final 2, Lahore
March 9, Final, Lahore (unless India qualify, when it will be played in Dubai)
March 10, Reserve day