The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be held in Pakistan in February-March next year, but the main question is whether India will travel to the country for the mega event, and this has become a hot topic of discussion among fans and the cricket fraternity.
Now, speculations are mounting that the Indian cricket team may travel to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy in 2025. However, this groundbreaking move is dependent on one crucial factor, and that is government approval.
Can India travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025?
The BCCI needs necessary permissions from the Indian government to send the Indian team to Pakistan, which remains the major hurdle.
Well, during the Uttar Pradesh Premier League (UPPL) player auction, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla fueled the fire by revealing that they might send Team India to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, subject to government clearance.
Adding to the drama, Shukla was reacting to the growing tensions regarding the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026.
The possibility of Pakistan withdrawing from the 2026 T20 World Cup has sparked a number of reactions as there are reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will boycott the mega event if India does not come for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Pakistan’s threats to boycott the 2026 T20 World Cup have been described as bluster, with the BCCI vice-president reiterating that the decision to participate in the 2025 Champions Trophy largely depends on official clearance from Indian government authorities.
Rajeev Shukla was quoted by Cricket Pakistan as saying: “Pakistan can say whatever it wants about coming to India during the 2026 World Cup, but we are just waiting for the approval from the Indian government.”
We expect retaliation from the PCB: BCCI
Amid the political chess game, a senior BCCI official has hinted at the possible consequences for the PCB if India does not make the trip to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy in 2024, when all other participating countries have already been given the green light to travel to the country.
With both nations playing a high-stakes diplomatic game, the resolution of this matter could spark another drama as a top BCCI official revealed that the PCB could respond with retaliatory measures if India decides not to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy in 2025.
A senior BCCI official said: “Of course, we expect retaliation. If we don’t travel to Pakistan, they will threaten to boycott the Asia Cup. But the PCB must understand that it is not in the hands of the BCCI. Sending a team to a foreign country requires permission from the Indian government. So far, we have held talks on the Champions Trophy but have not had any positive outcome.”
Notably, the PCB has recently asked the BCCI to provide written confirmation from the Indian government if the Indian team cites security concerns as a reason for not travelling.
