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Indian captain may visit Pak for Champions Trophy opening ceremony

Thursday, 16 Jan, 2025
All of India's group games will be played in Dubai. (Photo courtesy: www.icc-cricket.com)

New Delhi: Although India will play its Champions Trophy matches at a neutral venue, the team captain is expected to visit the host nation Pakistan to attend the opening ceremony of the prestigious event, which is making a return after an eight-year hiatus, according to reports.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning a grand opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy, tentatively scheduled for February 16 or 17, subject to a warm-up match itinerary. All team captains are to take part in the opening ceremony, which is a standard practice for ICC events.

The Champions Trophy 2025, set to begin on February 19, will be Pakistan’s first major ICC tournament as hosts since the nation co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. The tournament is set to be played in a hybrid format, with Pakistan hosting most of the matches, but all of India's group games and the first semi-final will be played in Dubai.

If India qualifies for the final, it will also be moved to Dubai; otherwise, Lahore will host the championship match. The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.

The tournament will kick off with host Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi and the much-anticipated India vs. Pakistan encounter is slated to take place on February 23 in Dubai.

Due to strained political relations, India and Pakistan only compete in international events like the World Cups and Asia Cup. The two teams last played in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup in New York.

'Team India needs Rohit, Virat for 3-4 years more’

Chandigarh: Ahead of the announcement of the squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, former India cricketer Yograj Singh has backed captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for next month's eight-team competition despite their poor run in the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. 

In five Tests, Kohli scored just 190 runs and was dismissed eight times chasing deliveries outside the off-stump. Meanwhile, Rohit, who missed the Perth Test due to the birth of his second child, managed only 31 runs across three matches before opting to sit out the fifth Test in Sydney.

The senior players came under heavy scrutiny from fans and former cricketers for their dismal performance and social media users even speculated about their retirement from red-ball cricket.

However, veteran pacer Yograj is of a different opinion and wants the duo to play 3-4 years more for the team to groom the youngsters. The 66-year-old Yograj expressed his happiness over Punjab batter Abhishek Sharma's selection for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England later this month. He asserted that Shubman Gill should have also been named in the squad.

Singh credited BCCI for making careers of young cricketers via IPL and now replicating the same for women cricketers in the country.