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Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma (Source: X)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the tentative dates for the 2025 Champions Trophy. A total of eight top international teams will compete in the marquee event hosted by Pakistan. As per the latest reports, the ICC is eyeing a window between February 19 to March 9.
While the exact schedule is yet to be finalised, the tournament will be played within 20 days, Cricbuzz said in a report. It is learned that initially, the plan was to start the tournament on a Friday and conclude on a Sunday. However, as per the disclosed window, the 19th of February is a Wednesday and March 9 is a Sunday.
Tentative dates for the multi-national event have reportedly been shared with member boards so they can adjust their domestic league schedules without clashing.
Uncertainty over venues persists
It is still unclear whether all matches of Champions Trophy 2025 will be played in Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had made it clear that its players would not travel to the neighbouring country, highlighting the need for a neutral venue. Due to the same security concerns, a hybrid model was introduced for the 2023 Asia Cup, with Team India playing their games in Sri Lanka rather than Pakistan.
However, sources say no decision has been taken regarding the Indian team's visit to Pakistan. "We will have some idea in the next two months," a source told to Cricbuzz.
Also Read: Pakistan put forward three venues to conduct ICC Champions Trophy 2025
India, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa, Australia, England and hosts Pakistan are eight teams competing for the coveted title. This is the first time since 2017 that a Champions Trophy tournament will be held. Earlier, the ICC had decided to scrap future editions of the tournament after 2017, targeting only one major tournament in each format.
However, in 2021, the governing body announced that the tournament would return in 2025. Last time, Pakistan won the title by defeating India by 180 runs in the final held at the Oval. Notably, the 2017 edition was played in a 19-day window.
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