India is highly unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, scheduled to take place in February and March next year.
If India withdraws from the tournament, the Sri Lanka cricket team will replace them. Reports indicate that Rohit Sharma and his team are unlikely to participate in the tournament hosted by Pakistan. Sri Lanka, who did not qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy due to their 9th place finish in the 2023 ODI World Cup, will take India’s place.
Sri Lanka, winners of the event in 2002, failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy for the first time. With India unlikely to travel to Pakistan, the BCCI is expected to request the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate the event to either Sri Lanka or the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The final decision on India’s participation in Pakistan rests with the Indian government. BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla has stated that the team would only travel to Pakistan with government approval.
This is not the first time India’s stance has influenced a tournament’s location. The 2023 Asia Cup was held in a “hybrid” format due to similar issues, with all of India’s matches played in Sri Lanka while the remaining teams competed in Pakistan.
Source: InsideSport
