India will play their Champions Trophy 2025 matches in the United Arab Emirates. The decision, although widely expected, was finalized after Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, met Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak in Pakistan. Sheikh Nahyan is a senior minister of the United Arab Emirates and also the head of the Emirates Cricket Board.
“The PCB has chosen the UAE as a neutral venue for the Champions Trophy,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said.
The Pakistan vs India championship match will be played on Sunday, February 23. Besides Pakistan, the other two teams in the Indian group are Bangladesh and New Zealand. India will face Bangladesh on February 20 and New Zealand on March 2. All these matches will probably take place in Dubai.
Defending champions Pakistan will begin the tournament on February 19 against New Zealand in Karachi. Pakistan’s final league match, against Bangladesh, will be played in Rawalpindi on February 27.
The second group includes Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa. The matches of both groups – except matches against India – will be played in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.
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 first semi-final, if India makes it to this stage, will be played in the United Arab Emirates. If India fails to qualify, the match will take place in Pakistan. The final is scheduled for Lahore, with the possibility of holding it in the United Arab Emirates if India makes it that far.
The agreement begins with the Champions Trophy and will apply to the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup in India, as well as the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. This will also apply to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, the first tournament of the next cycle of events now awarded to Pakistan.
