In a significant development, all key stakeholders, including the host Pakistan and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), have reportedly reached an agreement on the neutral venue for the Champions Trophy 2025.
According to the PCB source, Dubai is emerging as the most likely location, with a final decision expected soon.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is also poised to announce the full schedule for the tournament, with Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, having been seriously considered as a neutral venue.
It is worth mentioning here that the ICC confirmed that matches between India and Pakistan at ICC events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at neutral venues.
As per the official announcement, this decision impacts several tournaments, including the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, which will be hosted by Pakistan in February and March 2025, will see India and Pakistan play at a neutral venue, following this new arrangement.
Similarly, the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup in India and the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will feature India-Pakistan matches at neutral locations.
Additionally, 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 be in place for India-Pakistan matches.
This agreement follows the ICC’s approval of a hybrid hosting plan, under which Pakistan and India will not play matches in each other’s countries for three years. As part of this plan, the neutral venue for the Champions Trophy will be chosen at the discretion of the host country.
