- Traditional rivals Pakistan and India will face each other on February 23.
- The three venues of the tournament will be Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi.
- Three group matches will be played between India in Dubai.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday unveiled the official fixtures and groups for the Champions Trophy 2025 starting on February 19 in Karachi.
The eight-team tournament will have 15 matches, and will be played across Pakistan and Dubai, cricket’s apex body announced that all matches will be day and night.
In Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi will be the three venues to host the tournament. There will be three group matches at each venue in Pakistan, the second semi-final will be hosted by Lahore.
Lahore will also host the final on March 9, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai. Both semi-finals and finals will have reserve days.
Along with the three group matches involving India, the first semi-final will be played in Dubai.
Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the opening match of the Group A tournament in Karachi on February 19. The Dubai League will start the next day in which India will face Bangladesh.
The Group B matches will begin on February 21, with Afghanistan taking on the Proteas in Karachi.
A big weekend then kicks off with rivals England and Australia in Lahore on Saturday (February 22), followed by the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash the following day.
The eight Champions Trophy sides vying for the famous white winner’s jackets are the teams that finished in the top eight positions in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 points table.
Group A of the tournament includes India, New Zealand and Bangladesh along with current champions trophy holders and hosts Pakistan, while Group B includes Cricket World Cup 2023 champions Australia along with Afghanistan, England and South Africa.
The final of the tournament is to be played in Lahore, but if India qualifies, it will also be held in Dubai.
The tournament faced a setback when the Indian government refused to allow its players to come to Pakistan for the mega event, citing security concerns.
However, the two sides resolved the issue by agreeing to a hybrid model, in which India would play its match at a neutral venue instead of host country Pakistan.
Two days ago, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chose the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a neutral venue for India’s matches.
Under the agreement, Pakistan will also play at neutral venues in future ICC tournaments hosted by India.
The agreement will extend to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 to be hosted by India and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the statement added.
Groups
Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Bangladesh
Group B: South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan, England
Champions Trophy Schedule
February 19, Pakistan vs New Zealand, Karachi
February 20, Bangladesh vs India, Dubai, UAE
February 21, Afghanistan vs South Africa, Karachi
February 22, Australia vs England, Lahore
February 23, Pakistan vs India, Dubai
February 24, Bangladesh vs New Zealand, Rawalpindi
February 25, Australia vs South Africa, Rawalpindi
February 26, Afghanistan vs England, Lahore
February 27, Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Rawalpindi
February 28, Afghanistan vs Australia, Lahore
March 1, South Africa vs England, Karachi
March 2, New Zealand vs India, Dubai, UAE
March 4, Semi-Final 1, Dubai, UAE
March 5, Semi Final 2, Lahore
March 9, Final, Lahore (Unless India qualifies, when will be played in Dubai)
March 10, Reserve Day