As the Champions Trophy 2025 approaches, Rajeev Shukla, Vice-President of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), has addressed the complexities surrounding the Indian cricket team’s potential visit to Pakistan for the prestigious tournament. Scheduled to take place in February, the event will feature eight elite teams competing across three venues in Pakistan.
Shukla emphasized that any decision regarding the team’s travel to Pakistan hinges on the Indian government’s approval. “No decision has been taken [yet]. But our policy is that for international tours, we always seek the permission of the government. It’s up to the government to decide whether our team should go to any country or not,” he stated during a press conference. He reiterated, “In this case, whatever the government will decide, we will abide by that.”
India’s participation in the tournament remains uncertain, given that the Men in Blue have not visited Pakistan since 2008, and there have been no bilateral series between the two cricketing rivals since 2012-13. The upcoming Champions Trophy will include top teams such as Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, all of which have played in Pakistan in recent years.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is optimistic about India’s involvement, arguing that there are no substantial reasons for India to decline the invitation. The tournament will be hosted in three venues: Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore, with PCB’s proposed schedule indicating that all of India’s matches will occur in Lahore. As the cricketing world eagerly awaits the tournament, the focus will remain on whether the Indian team will finally return to Pakistan for the event.
