Cricket’s biggest rivalry is set to ignite as Pakistan faces India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, February 23, at 1 PM (09:00 GMT).
India, tipped as tournament favorites, started strong with a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh. Pakistan, on the other hand, suffered a 60-run defeat against New Zealand, adding pressure ahead of the high-voltage encounter.
Why is India not playing their matches in Pakistan?
Although Pakistan is the official host of the tournament, India’s matches are being played in the UAE due to an agreement between the ICC, BCCI, and PCB.
The decision ensures that both teams compete at neutral venues until 2027.
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.
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.
When was the last time Pakistan hosted a major tournament?
International cricket in Pakistan has been severely limited in recent years following the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus in Lahore, which resulted in six players being injured.
As a consequence, Pakistan was largely excluded from hosting top teams.
The Champions Trophy 2025 now marks the first major international tournament held in the country after 29 years.
The last time Pakistan hosted a global event was in 2006, when they co-hosted the Cricket World Cup with India.
The Champions Trophy 2025 will run from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan and UAE.
Why are defending champions Pakistan not the favourites?
Pakistan, the 2017 Champions Trophy winners, are under scrutiny after their poor start.
Their batting collapse against New Zealand and off-field instability – with rapid coaching changes – have raised concerns.
Star players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi remain Pakistan’s biggest hopes.
Why are India favourites to win the Champions Trophy?
India’s dominant ODI form makes them the frontrunners.
Led by Rohit Sharma, their batting strength is evident, with Shubman Gill’s century securing their opening victory against Bangladesh.
India’s spin attack – Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel – is expected to play a key role on Dubai’s spin-friendly surface.
Recent Form and Head-to-Head comparison:
Pakistan’s last five ODIs: W L W L L
India’s last five ODIs: L W W W W
Champions Trophy titles: Pakistan (1), India (2)
Pakistan squad:
Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
India squad:
Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.
Pakistan needs to overcome its recent struggles to challenge India, while India aims to cement its dominance. Stay tuned for live updates on Times of Karachi’s website.
