The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on December 19 that the 2025 Champions Trophy will be conduced in hybrid model that will see India’s matches in the eight-team event taking place at a neutral venue. In a statement released by the ICC, it confirmed: “India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue,” as reported by India Today last week.
The tournament, scheduled to begin on February 19 in Pakistan, faced uncertainty due to India’s refusal to travel to the host nation. The ICC reiterated in its statement: “India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024–2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue.”
The ICC further elaborated: “India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024–2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, December 19. This applies to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka).”
The statement also announced that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been awarded the hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply. Additionally, Cricket Australia is set to host one of the senior ICC women’s events during the 2029–2031 cycle.
The schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be confirmed soon, with Pakistan aiming to defend the title they won in 2017. The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.
