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India unlikely to travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy: BCCI sources

Last updated on: July 11, 2024 11:28 IST

IMAGE: India captain Rohit Sharma with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

The Indian cricket team is unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy next year, BCCI sources told ANI.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India will ask the ICC to host India's matches either in Dubai or Sri Lanka in a hybrid model, the source further added.

Speaking on India's participation in the Champions Trophy, the BCCI source told ANI: "India will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. Will tell ICC to hold its matches in Dubai or Sri Lanka."

 

The ICC Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan next year and there are doubts whether India will make the trip across the border for the elite 50-overs tournament, which is being held for the first time since 2017.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has slotted its team's marquee Champions Trophy match against arch-foes India in Lahore on March 1 next year but the BCCI is yet to give its consent to the tentative schedule.

India have not visited Pakistan since 2008 and the cricket-mad countries play each other only at multi-team events.

Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup last year but eventual winners India were allowed to play all their matches in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan won the last edition of the Champions Trophy when it was held in England in 2017 before it was discontinued due to a crowded calendar. However, it is being reintroduced with the ICC keen to stage a big event every year.

BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla had said in May that the Indian team would be sent to Pakistan for the tournament only if the central government permits it.

"In the case of the Champion Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India will tell us to do. We send our team only when the Government of India permits us. So we will go according to the decision of the Indian government," he had told ANI.

A similar situation unfolded during last year's Asia Cup, which was scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan.

However, PCB was compelled to use a hybrid strategy when hosting the Asia Cup last year, with all of India's matches -- including those against Pakistan -- taking place in Sri Lanka.

The tournament final, which India won, took place in Colombo. Although Pakistan had hinted at the possibility of using a hybrid approach to participate in the ODI World Cup in India last year, it was never given any thought.

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