BCCI requests to move India’s 2025 Champions Trophy matches to Dubai, cites security concerns in Pakistan

PTC Web Desk: The prospect of Team India travelling to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy has been dismissed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which has communicated its concerns about security to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Instead, the BCCI has formally requested that all of India’s games be relocated to Dubai.

The 2025 Champions Trophy, scheduled from February 19 to March 9, will see the world’s top eight teams competing across three venues in Pakistan: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.

The BCCI’s decision to withdraw from travelling to Pakistan was reportedly made in consultation with the Indian government, highlighting the ongoing security concerns that India has regarding events in Pakistan. This stance echoes India’s decision during last year’s Asia Cup, when the games were moved to Sri Lanka despite Pakistan being the official host.

This move has dampened the optimism that followed recent diplomatic exchanges between India and Pakistan. Last month, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Islamabad. This marked the first high-level meeting between the two countries since 2015, which had raised hopes of renewed bilateral ties, including in the realm of cricket.

After the meeting, there were hopes within sporting circles that the Champions Trophy might see an unprecedented visit from India. Sources said PCB chairman Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, had been actively working to facilitate India’s participation. Reports suggested that the PCB had even offered India the option to return home after each game.