ICC Confirms Hybrid Model for 2025 Champions Trophy, India to Play Matches at Neutral Venues: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the Champions Trophy 2025 will be conducted in a hybrid model, keeping in consideration India’s decision not to travel Pakistan, due to security concerns. So India’s matches will have to be at a neutral venue, but other matches will take place in Pakistan.
This is like how the 2023 Asia Cup was handled. India played its matches in Sri Lanka under a similar hybrid model. The ICC stated, “The ICC Board has approved that all matches between India and Pakistan played at ICC Events during the current rights cycle from 2024 to 2027 will be played at a neutral venue proposed by the tournament host.”
This hybrid model would extend well into the future for other ICC events. It includes the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, to be held in India, and the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, hosted in India and Sri Lanka. The whole intention behind the decision is to enable participation at the ICC events for India and Pakistan. This keeps in view the various security and diplomatic considerations.
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The ICC has yet to disclose the exact site where India will play its matches during the Champions Trophy 2025. The tournament, which will feature the eight best teams from the 2023 Cricket World Cup, is scheduled to take place between February 19 and March 9, 2025.
This further indicates the continuing entanglement in cricketing relations between India and Pakistan. Both countries try to place on one plate competitiveness and the other geopolitical realities.
