The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Pakistan next year, has entered a familiar phase of uncertainty. The BCCI has reportedly refused to send their team to the country for the tournament. In their original tournament plans, Pakistan had designated Lahore as the sole venue for the Indian team, hoping to allay security concerns and secure the BCCI’s approval.

However, that plan now appears unlikely to materialize, as the BCCI has proposed a hybrid model that would see India’s matches take place in alternate venues such as Dubai and Sri Lanka.

The PCB may be forced to abide by the BCCI’s requests, even though an official meeting has not yet taken place. However, if the PCB insists on hosting all matches in Pakistan, the Indian team could withdraw from the tournament due to security concerns, as it is highly unlikely they would receive government approval.

If India withdraws from the Champions Trophy, Sri Lanka will take their place, having secured 9th position in the ODI World Cup 2023 rankings.

The Asia Cup 2023 was originally scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan, but the Indian government denied approval for the Indian team to travel there.  As a result, all of India’s matches were relocated to Sri Lanka.

The Men in Blue have not played against Pakistan in Pakistan since the Asia Cup 2008. The two sides only face each other at ICC or ACC events. In their most recent matchup at the T20 World Cup 2024 last month, India defeated Pakistan by six runs in the group stage before going on to claim their second title.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will mark Pakistan’s first time hosting a major tournament on its own. Pakistan had previously co-hosted the 1987 Reliance Cup with India and the 1996 Cricket World Cup with Sri Lanka.