The ICC Champions Trophy is set to return in 2025, with the schedule officially announced, marking the highly anticipated comeback of this prestigious tournament after its last edition in 2017. This will be the first time Pakistan hosts a global cricket event since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
The 2025 competition will feature eight teams divided into two groups of four, mirroring the format from the 2017 tournament. Each team will play the others in their pool once, and the top two teams will advance to the semi-finals. The semi-final winners will face off in the final on March 9 in Lahore, competing for the Champions Trophy and a coveted white jacket.
Defending champions Pakistan are placed in Group A, competing alongside Bangladesh, India, and New Zealand. The tournament will kick off with Pakistan facing New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. Group B includes Afghanistan, Australia, England, and South Africa, with England’s opening match against Australia in Lahore on February 22, leading up to a highly anticipated clash between Pakistan and India on February 23 in Dubai.
Match Venues
Matches will be held in stadiums across Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, while India will play its matches in Dubai. The ICC has confirmed that all matches between Pakistan and India in ICC tournaments—including next year’s Women’s World Cup—will be held at neutral venues until at least 2027, due to ongoing political tensions which have strained relations between the two cricketing nations. If both teams qualify, India will play in semi-final 1 in Dubai and Pakistan in semi-final 2 in Lahore, with the final potentially moving to the UAE if India advances.
ICC Champions Trophy Overview
The ICC Champions Trophy is essentially a compact 50-over World Cup, providing an action-packed format compared to the traditionally longer World Cup, which can span over six weeks. Pakistan, the reigning champions, secured their title by defeating India in the final at The Kia Oval six years ago. Notably, both India and Australia have won the most titles, with two championships each.
ICC Champions Trophy Schedule
Group A:
- Feb 19: Pakistan vs New Zealand (Karachi)
- Feb 20: Bangladesh vs India (Dubai)
- Feb 23: Pakistan vs India (Dubai)
- Feb 24: Bangladesh vs New Zealand (Rawalpindi)
- Feb 27: Pakistan vs Bangladesh (Rawalpindi)
- Mar 2: New Zealand vs India (Dubai)
Group B:
- Feb 21: Afghanistan vs South Africa (Karachi)
- Feb 22: Australia vs England (Lahore)
- Feb 25: Australia vs South Africa (Rawalpindi)
- Feb 26: Afghanistan vs England (Lahore)
- Feb 28: Afghanistan vs Australia (Lahore)
- Mar 1: South Africa vs England (Karachi)
Semi-finals:
- Mar 4: Semi-final 1, A1 vs B2 (Dubai)
- Mar 5: Semi-final 2, A2 vs B1 (Lahore)
Final:
- Mar 9: Winner of semi-final 1 vs Winner of semi-final 2 (Lahore)
Stay tuned for more updates on this exhilarating event from ECNETNews!
