NEW DELHI: India has decided to abstain from travelling to Pakistan to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled to be held in Pakistan.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the body governing cricket in India, is likely to request the ICC to conduct the matches in either Sri Lanka or Dubai.
“India will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. Will tell ICC to hold its matches in Dubai or Sri Lanka,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by ANI.
This development comes as Pakistan reportedly proposed all of India's matches in one city so as to minimize their travel. All of India's matches was scheduled to be played in the city of Lahore.
However, the BCCI has not agreed upon it as they have refused to send the Indian cricket team to play in Pakistani soil.
The ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to be held from February to March 2025 in Pakistan.
It may be noted that India have not played any cricket tournaments in Pakistan since 2008's Asia Cup due to bitter relationship between the two hostile neighbours.
The final bilateral series between arch-rivals India and Pakistan was held way back in January 2013 in Indian soil. The two cricket-loving nations have not met ever since and have played against each other only at ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup.
If the Champions Trophy shifts to Sri Lanka or the UAE, it will be the second multi-nation tournament in the last two years to move out of Pakistan due to India's refusal to travel there.
Meanwhile, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla said in May that the Indian team would be sent to Pakistan to take part in the Champions Trophy only if the central government gives its approval.
“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.”
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan are the defending champions of the Champions Trophy, last held in 2017.
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