India won’t be travelling to Pakistan for Champions Trophy: report

In a major setback for cricket, the Indian government has decided to stand firm on its decision not to send its team to Pakistan for next year’s Champions Trophy, Indian media reported on Friday.

Sources familiar with the matter told the Indian Express that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of its security concerns and requested that its matches be held in Dubai instead of Lahore.

“The BCCI has conveyed their concerns regarding Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan. They want to play matches at a neutral venue and Dubai is the strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue,” a source told Times of India.

Another source, meanwhile, informed the Indian Express that this has been the BCCI’s long-standing stance and that there was no reason to change that.

“We have written to them and asked them to shift our games to Dubai,” the source added.

Pakistan is determined to hold the entire 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9 in three cities — Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. 

To address logistical and security concerns, it suggested staging all of India’s matches in Lahore, which is near the Wagah border, to simplify arrangements.

India has not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008. Last year, the BCCI declined to send a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, leading to a hybrid format with later stages held in Sri Lanka.

However, Pakistan did visit India soon after for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they fell short of reaching the semi-finals.

This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.