ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule Unveiled
The tournament will feature eight teams, including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and New Zealand, competing in a group-stage and knockout-stage format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals, and the champions receiving a prize money of $2.24m from a total of $6.9m.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to take place in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, with eight teams competing for the title, including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Afghanistan, and England, in a tournament that will feature a simple group-stage and knockout-stage format.
The tournament will be held in four venues: Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Dubai, with the opening match scheduled between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19, and the final to be played on March 9, with the venue subject to India's qualification. The defending champions, Pakistan, who won the previous edition in 2017, will be looking to retain their title, while India's matches will be played in the UAE due to their government's refusal to send their team to Pakistan.
The tournament has a rich history, with the 1996 World Cup being a significant moment in Pakistan's cricket history, where they co-hosted the event with India and Sri Lanka, and played all their group matches at home, finishing second in their group. However, the current relationship between the PCB and BCCI has deteriorated, and the tournament may not be hosted entirely in Pakistan, with the final's venue still uncertain.
Former South Africa batter J.P. Duminy has predicted that Afghanistan could be a dark horse for the semi-finals, while Aaqib, the current coach of the Pakistan team, emphasizes the importance of maintaining continuity in the team and not treating the tournament as a special occasion. The tournament will have a prize money of $6.9m, with the champions receiving $2.24m, and will be streamed by various official TV, digital, and radio broadcasters.
As the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 approaches, cricket fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the start of the tournament, which promises to be an exciting and competitive event, with the top teams in the world vying for the title, and Pakistan looking to retain their championship title on home soil.
