Stadiums In Shambles, Champions Trophy Opening Ceremony To Be Moved Out Of Pakistan

In the wake of the CT row over should India captain Rohit Sharma go to Pakistan or not, the BCCI has reportedly requested the ICC to shift the ceremony. The Indian team would be playing all it's Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, thanks to the ‘hybrid’ model, hence they want the Captains Meet and the Opening ceremony to be held in Dubai. Now, it would be interesting to see if the ICC actually shifts the Opening Ceremony and the Captain's Meet. The next few days would be interesting because ICC would eventually have to react to this. A source has told Republic that ICC could actually bow down to India's demands as these are not major. The BCCI has also refused to wear ‘Pakistan’s' name on their jersey. 

ALSO READ: PCB vs BCCI Jersey Controversy: ICC Responds Ahead of CT 2025 - REPORT

CT 25 DETAILS

The upcoming Champions Trophy will be contested in the 'Hybrid Model' with India scheduled to play all their matches in Dubai. The Gaddafi Stadium in particular continues to be in shambles and the PCB has no concrete justification for this. The construction of the stadiums were expected to be completed by December 2024, but the PCB has failed to live up to its word. The next deadline is January 25 and it would be interesting to see if the ICC gives clearance to the venues for the marquee event. 

The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) will host India in the Champions Trophy. India kickstart their Champions Trophy campaign on February 20, 2025 against Bangladesh . They next play defending champions Pakistan on February 23, 2025.

ALSO READ: Under-Pressure PCB Tries To Reassure The ICC With Tall Claims

India would obviously start as one of the hot favourites to win the marquee event. For the unversed, Pakistan are the defending champions.