The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is all set to commence in Pakistan and the UAE, starting February 19.
The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy is here, featuring eight of the best teams in ODI cricket. The tournament, which has not been held since 2017, will see Pakistan, the defending champions, host the event. India, on the other hand, will play all their matches in Dubai, UAE.
The opening match is on February 19, where Pakistan will face New Zealand in Karachi.
Here’s all you need to know about the tournament:
Watch – ‘Jeeto Baazi Khel Ke’ ft. Atif Aslam:
The official ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 song, ‘Jeeto Baazi Khel Ke,’ featuring Atif Aslam, has been released!
How to Watch the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 LIVE:
Here’s where you can catch the live action in different countries:
- India: JioStar (live streaming on Jio Hotstar, TV coverage on Star and Network 18 channels)
- Pakistan: PTV and Ten Sports, Streaming on Myco and Tamasha app
- UAE and MENA: CricLife Max and CricLife Max2, Streaming on STARZPLAY
- UK: Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action, SkyGO, NOW
- USA and Canada: WillowTV, Streaming on Willow by Cricbuzz app (Hindi coverage available)
- Caribbean: ESPNCaribbean on TV, Streaming via ESPN Play Caribbean app
- Australia: PrimeVideo (Hindi coverage available)
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ, Digital via Now and SkyGo app
- South Africa and sub-Saharan territories: SuperSport and SuperSport App
- Bangladesh: Nagorik TV, T Sports for linear broadcast, digital via Toffee app
- Afghanistan: ATN
- Sri Lanka: Maharaja TV (TV1), Digital via Sirasa
For a complete list of countries where the tournament will be streamed, visit ICC.tv.
Qualification:
For this edition, qualification is based on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, with the top-eight ranked teams securing their place, including hosts Pakistan.
Groups:
- Group A: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, New Zealand
- Group B: Australia, Afghanistan, England, South Africa
Squads:
All squads for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 are available.
Debutants:
After a historic 2023 Cricket World Cup, Afghanistan has qualified for their first-ever Champions Trophy, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi. They made history by reaching the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Format:
The tournament follows the same format since 2006, with eight teams divided into two groups. Each team plays once against every other team in their group. The top-two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals.
Prize Money:
The total prize pool for the tournament is $6.9 million, a 53% increase from the 2017 edition. The winners will take home $2.24 million, the runners-up $1.12 million, and the losing semi-finalists will receive $560,000.
Key Dates:
- Opening match: February 19, Pakistan vs New Zealand in Karachi
- India’s first match: February 20, against Bangladesh in Dubai
- Semi-finals: March 4 and 5 in Dubai and Lahore
- Final: March 9 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (if India qualifies, the final will be in Dubai)
In the last Champions Trophy final in 2017, Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs, with Fakhar Zaman being named Player of the Match.
Stay tuned for all the exciting cricket action and updates as the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 kicks off!
