The 2025 Champions Trophy will not have a pre-tournament captains’ photo session due to different arrival schedules of the participating teams. It is understood that arranging all captains together before the tournament begins is quite difficult, as teams like England and Australia will reach Pakistan late because of their ongoing international matches.
The 2025 Champions Trophy will not have a pre-tournament captains’ photo session due to different arrival schedules of the participating teams. It is understood that arranging all captains together before the tournament begins is quite difficult, as teams like England and Australia will reach Pakistan late because of their ongoing international matches.
This means that India captain Rohit Sharma does not need to travel to Pakistan. He can stay with the Indian team in Dubai, where they will play all their group matches and knockouts (if they qualify).
The Indian team is expected to leave for Dubai on February 15, and more details about their schedule will be confirmed soon. Rohit Sharma and his team will stay in Dubai and are unlikely to play a warm-up match before their first game against Bangladesh on February 20. Various options were considered, but since most teams will be in Pakistan for their matches, arranging a warm-up game was difficult.
However, the Indian team is comfortable with having quality net practice sessions as they will already be playing three ODIs against England before the Champions Trophy.
PCB to Host an Event in Lahore
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has planned an event in Lahore before the Champions Trophy. Initially, there were talks about hosting it in Karachi, but it has now been shifted to Lahore. Such opening ceremonies are organized by the host nation, and Pakistan has chosen Lahore as the venue.
The stadiums in Pakistan have not yet been officially handed over to the global cricket body, but PCB is confident that all work will be completed within the next week. The Champions Trophy will start on February 19, and the final will be played on March 9.
If India qualifies for the semi-finals, they will play that match in Dubai. Even the final will be shifted to Dubai if India reaches the title clash.
