After a long wait, the ICC (International Cricket Council) on December 24 (Tuesday) officially released the schedule for the Champions Trophy 2025, including the hosting venues as well.
The hybrid model was accepted after the agreement was confirmed between the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) and BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).
As expected, the highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan is confirmed to take place in Dubai on February 23.
Making a comeback after eight years, the eight-team tournament consists of 15 matches including the group stages and knockouts that will be played across three different venues in Pakistan, while India’s matches will be held in Dubai.
Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi in Pakistan will host three matches in group stages. In addition, Lahore hosts the second semi-final on March 5 with the option of hosting the final as well. In another scenario, the tournament’s finals on March 9 could be shifted to Dubai if Team India manages to qualify.
The season opener on February 19 features the intriguing clash between the defending champions Pakistan and the tournament’s second edition champions New Zealand. Whereas the teams in Group B will commence their campaign on February 21 starting with the Afghanistan vs South Africa clash in Karachi.
Participating Teams and their Groups in Champions Trophy 2025
Out of eight participating teams in the Champions Trophy 2025, four of them are classified into Group A and Group B each:
- GROUP A:
- Pakistan
- India
- Bangladesh
- New Zealand
- GROUP B:
- South Africa
- Australia
- Afghanistan
- England
Each participating team in the CT 25 will compete against the other in a round-robin format in the group stages. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the first and second semi-finals. In other words, based on the points and tie-breaker, the table toppers of a particular group will compete against the opponent group runner-up in the knockouts.
Suppose India concludes in the top two positions of Group A, they will participate in the first semi-final held in Dubai. However, you need to know the semi-final 1 venue remains unchanged even if India fails to qualify.
ICC’s Officially Released Schedule for Champions Trophy 2025
The 19-day schedule of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 between February 19 and March 09 will be day-night contests with all matches starting at 02:30 pm IST (Indian Standard Time):
| Date and Day | Match | Venue | Timings |
| February 19 (Wednesday) | Pakistan vs New Zealand (Group A) | National Stadium, Karachi (PAKISTAN) | 02:30 pm IST / 02 pm LOCAL |
| February 20 (Thursday) | Bangladesh vs India (Group A) | Dubai International Cricket Stadium (UAE) | 02:30 pm IST / 1 pm LOCAL |
| February 21 (Friday) | Afghanistan vs South Africa (Group B) | National Stadium, Karachi (PAKISTAN) | 02:30 pm IST / 02 pm LOCAL |
| February 22 (Saturday) | Australia vs England (Group B) | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (PAKISTAN) | |
| February 23 (Sunday) | Pakistan vs India (Group A) | Dubai International Cricket Stadium (UAE) | 02:30 pm IST / 1 pm LOCAL |
| February 24 (Monday) | Bangladesh vs New Zealand (Group A) | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium (PAKISTAN) | 02:30 pm IST / 02 pm LOCAL |
| February 25 (Tuesday) | Australia vs South Africa (Group B) | ||
| February 26 (Wednesday) | Afghanistan vs England (Group B) | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (PAKISTAN) | |
| February 27 (Thursday) | Pakistan vs Bangladesh (Group A) | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium (PAKISTAN) | |
| February 28 (Friday) | Afghanistan vs Australia (Group B) | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (PAKISTAN) | |
| March 01 (Saturday) | South Africa vs England (Group B) | National Stadium, Karachi (PAKISTAN) | |
| March 02 (Sunday) | New Zealand vs India (Group A) | Dubai International Cricket Stadium (UAE) | 02:30 pm IST / 1 pm LOCAL |
| March 04 (Tuesday) | 1st Semi-Final | ||
| March 05 (Wednesday) | 2nd Semi-Final | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (PAKISTAN) | 02:30 pm IST / 02 pm LOCAL |
| March 09 (Sunday) | Final | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (PAKISTAN | 02:30 pm IST / 1 pm LOCAL |
| Dubai International Cricket Stadium (UAE) — only if India qualifies for the final | |||
| March 10 (Monday) | Reserve Day (If the match gets washed out on the previous day due to rains) | ||
Conclusion:
Following the hybrid model, the matches are split between two nations with Pakistan hosting 10 matches, whereas India’s three matches in league stages as well as the first semi-final will be played in Dubai (UAE).
As the tournament’s hosting nation, Pakistan earlier suggested UAE as the neutral venue to host India’s matches rather than Sri Lanka. Mainly, the decision to host Team India’s matches in Dubai comes after PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi met the senior UAE minister and head of the UAE cricket board Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak to discuss the tournament’s neutral venue.
To ensure smooth planning and organizing of these high-profile tournaments, the agreement between the PCB and BCCI to host India and Pakistan matches in neutral venues not only solves the logistical issues but also handles the geopolitical challenges as well.