ICC Champions Trophy 2025: For the first time since the 1996 World Cup, a major tournament is going to be organized in Pakistan. However, this tournament will be organized under the hybrid model in which India will play its matches in Dubai. ICC is working towards finalising the practice facilities and the venues for the warm-up matches for Champions Trophy.
India will play practice matches in Dubai before starting their campaign in the Champions Trophy. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is working on the practice facilities at all four venues and the schedule of practice matches for the eight participating teams. Apart from this, the ICC is also keeping an eye on the reconstruction work going on in three stadiums in Pakistan.
According to media reports, the ICC member team has not expressed any concern about the reconstruction work of the stadium so far. Reconstruction work is going on in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi in view of the Champions Trophy. For the first time since the 1996 World Cup, a major tournament is going to be organized in Pakistan. However, this tournament will be organized under the hybrid model in which India will play its matches in Dubai.
Some media reports were claiming that the stadium in Pakistan is not fully ready before the Champions Trophy, but the PCB on Wednesday dismissed discussions of delay in reconstruction work in these stadiums. The PCB said that preparations for the Champions Trophy are going on in full swing and the reconstruction work at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the National Bank Stadium in Karachi will be completed before the deadline.
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New chairs are being installed in the Gaddafi Stadium, which has increased the capacity of spectators to 35000. Apart from this, 480 LED lights are being installed. It is being told that after the completion of the reconstruction work in the stadium, the stadium will be inaugurated in the last week of January. 350 LED lights have been installed in Karachi and two large digital displays and 5000 new chairs are also being installed. The PCB said that 10000 new chairs, better hospitality boxes and two digital replay screens have been installed at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The Champions Trophy will be organized from February 19 under the hybrid model. All eight teams have been divided into two groups of four each for this tournament. There will be 12 league stage matches in the Champions Trophy and then the semi-finals and the final will be played. The match between India and Pakistan will be played in Dubai on February 23. If India is successful in reaching the final, then the title match will be played in Dubai itself. India will play in the group alongside Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand.
In the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Indian cricket team will play its first match against Bangladesh on February 20. All the matches of Team India will be held in Dubai. The team in blue jersey, which is in Group-A, will play its matches against hosts Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2 after Bangladesh.
According to information received from sources, a practice match will definitely be organized. However, it has not been announced yet and work is going on the training facilities of the team. It is certain that India will get at least one practice match before the tournament.
It is worth noting that the Champions Trophy has been organized eight times so far. Its first edition was held in 1998, which was won by South Africa. The last time this tournament was played was in 2017, in which Pakistan won.