Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma is reportedly considering a visit to Pakistan ahead of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 to participate in pre-tournament events, according to Indian media reports on Monday.
The potential visit has sparked excitement among cricket fans from both nations, as it would mark a rare instance of an Indian player traveling to Pakistan for an international event. Reports suggest Sharma might attend promotional events organized by the ICC, including a captain’s photoshoot and press conference.
However, the Indian cricket board has not yet confirmed Sharma’s participation, and the Indian team is yet to announce its squad for the tournament.
The Champions Trophy 2025, featuring eight teams and 15 matches, is scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9 across three venues—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in Pakistan, as well as Dubai.
Group A includes Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B comprises Afghanistan, South Africa, England, and Australia. Hosts Pakistan will kick off the tournament against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi. India’s first match is against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20, with the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash set for February 23, also in Dubai.
The tournament will follow a hybrid hosting model, with India’s matches to be played at a neutral venue in Dubai instead of Pakistan due to security concerns and political tensions. The ICC confirmed this arrangement last month after negotiations between the boards of both countries.
This hybrid model extends to other ICC events during the 2024–2027 rights cycle, including the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. Additionally, the PCB has been awarded hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, which will also adopt neutral venue arrangements.
