Champions Trophy 2025: A Comprehensive Report

 

 

According to sources,  the upcoming Champions Trophymight be held from February 19 and March 9, 2025. Many sources privy to the International Cricket Council have confirmed that the 8-team tournament will be played for the first time Since
2017.  Pakistan will be the defending champion of the trophy. Pakistan was announced as the host of the 2025 Champions Trophy on 21st November 2021 amid the T20 World Cup in 2021. The exact dates have not been finalized yet by the ICC but it is expected that the tournament will be played within 20 day period somewhere between February 19 and March 9. The 2017
edition of the tournament was a 19-day event that started on June 1st and concluded on June 18.

Major T20 Leagues To Avoid Schedule Clash With CT 2025

 

It is believed that the tentative dates for the Champions Trophy have been shared with the respective cricket boards so that they can adjust their league schedules accordingly.

 

Earlier this year the ILT20 announced its third edition to be played from January 11 to February 9.  The SA20 will begin its third season on January 9 to conclude on February 8.

 

Team India’s Participation In Champions Trophy

 

As far as Team India’s participation in the Champions Trophy is concerned it is unclear. With BJP  returning to power in India it is expected that India might not play in Pakistan. 

 

Any statement has not been made by the BCCI yet in this regard. But the Government Of India will have the final say in this regard rather than BCCI.  

 

Possibility Of Hybrid Model

 

There is also a possibility that the Champions Trophy might be played as per the hybrid model used for last year’s Asia Cup when team India played its matches in UAE and Bangladesh.

The picture will become clear about India’s participation in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan,  after the ICC meeting in July this year. 

 

Playing Venues For The Tournament

 

Cricketbuzztoday brings to your knowledge that the PCB has set Lahore as the venue for all of the matches of team India so that the team doesn’t have to travel a lot in the country given security reasons. All of the matches will be played on three Venues i.e Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi

 

Pakistan Hosting Major ICC Tournament After 1996

 

The 2025 Champions Trophy will be the first major ICC event to be hosted by Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup when Pakistan was joint host with Sri Lanka and India.

 

The 2011 one-day World Cup was supposed to be co-hosted by Pakistan with India. But after the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team, Pakistan lost its hosting rights. 

 

After the incident, for six years,  there was no international cricket in Pakistan. Since 2015 every cricket team, involved in the
The Champions Trophy has played in Pakistan except for India. 

 

CT 2025 Qualifiers

 

Pakistan (host), India, Afghanistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, England

Format Of The Tournament

 

The 2025 Champions Trophy will follow the format of its previous editions. Eight teams will be divided into two groups.  

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. Winners of the two semi-finals will play in the final.

The Format

Group A	Group B
Team 1	Team 1
Team 2	Team 2
Team 3	Team 3
Team 4	Team 4

Group Stage Matches

Each team plays other teams in their group.

The top two Teams from both groups qualify for the Semi-Finals.

Semi-Finals

Semi-Final 1- Group A Winner Vs Runner-up of Group B

Semi-Final 2- Group B Winner Vs Runner-up of Group A

Final
Winner Of Semi-Final 1 Vs Winner Of Semi-Final 2

Predicaments in the Champions Trophy 2025 

According to Cricbuzz, discussions were held between the ICC officials and broadcasters on the format of the upcoming Champions Trophy. Whether the tournament will be a 50-over format or a T20.

The broadcasters favor an ODI format where there is more room for advertisements but data shows that there has been a 20% decline in ODI viewership.

The tournament will have 18 to 20 days, and if India plays, there is a possibility for a hybrid model which means that the team will have to shuttle between Pakistan and UAE. Thus, it becomes a challenge to adjust the games in 18 to 20 days given the long travels between the UAE and Pakistan. 

Concludingly there are many issues that the ICC has to tackle including venues, tight schedules, broadcasting rights, and the format of the Champions Trophy.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that everything is amicably solved and the cricketing fans get to see entertaining cricket.