India Withdraws From ICC Champions Trophy 2025. What’s Next?
Updated: Nov 21
BCCI has conveyed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that the national team will not travel to Pakistan in 2025 for the Champions Trophy. The national cricket team has withdrawn its name from the tournament if it happens in Pakistan in early 2025, citing security reasons. What might happen next is something every cricket fan is looking forward to.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has pitched for a hybrid model. This model requires the ICC to split the hosting rights for the one-day international tournament between two countries. Dubai and South Africa are potential candidates here with South Africa likely to get the entire stake of hosting rights if Pakistan rejects the hybrid model.
PCB, in coordination with Pakistan's Government, has rejected the hybrid model. To build on that, Pakistan has reportedly conveyed that it would withdraw its name from the tournament if the BCCI does not cite specific reasons for choosing not to visit the country.
Earlier known as ICC Knockout, the Championship Trophy is one of the few tournaments where India and Pakistan clash on the field. Both had the last bilateral series in 2012-2013, hosted in India. India-Pakistan cricket events are exclusive only to ICC Tournaments and Asia Cup. Such a stern measure from the Government of India stems from concerns about the security of Indian cricket players.
Pakistan’s ideal bet is to accept the hybrid model because it keeps a prominent cricket tournament in their country. Shifting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 entirely to a different venue would be something that goes as an embarrassment. Another way to look at it is that a hybrid model brings a win-win compromise. Their concerns about travel are noteworthy and a communication with the ICC should fix that.
The Indian cricket team’s board has kept itself open for two options - a hybrid model and a new venue altogether.
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A statement from Pakistan’s cricket fraternity has expressed that, if India is important for ICC’s revenue then an India-Pakistan contest is equally important in that aspect. True. A cricket match between India and Pakistan is coined as a cricketing rivalry that grabs viewership in large numbers, often breaking international records in terms of streaming and live viewing.
ICC Champions Trophy is a competitive cricket tournament worldwide. A total of eight teams participate based on their ranking on the ICC’s ODI chart. Teams (as of November 13, 2024) that feature on the list, with their respective ratings, are as follows:
Ranking | Cricket Team | Ratings |
1. | India | 118 |
2. | Australia | 113 |
3. | Pakistan | 109 |
4. | South Africa | 106 |
5. | New Zealand | 101 |
6. | Sri Lanka | 96 |
7. | England | 93 |
8. | Afghanistan | 85 |
*Ranks and ratings are subject to change.
The very first ICC Champions Trophy tournament was held in Bangladesh in 1998. South Africa had won it. India won the tournament a decade ago in 2013 when it was hosted by England and Wales. ICT, before that, shared the title with Sri Lanka in 2002 when Sri Lanka hosted it. Pakistan has won the Championship Trophy once in 2017.
ICC Champions Trophy is next slated to happen tentatively in the early months of 2025. Negotiations for hosting rights are underway.
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