BCCI's Rajeev Shukla Denies Reports Of India Skipping Champions Trophy In Pakistan

BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla has dismissed rumours about the Indian cricket team not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. He clarified that the board has not issued any official statement on this matter.

There was a report from ANI suggesting that India would not travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The report mentioned that India might request the International Cricket Council to hold its matches in Sri Lanka or Dubai instead.

Despite no official confirmation, speculation continues about India's participation in Pakistan. Shukla questioned the credibility of the source behind these claims, stating, "We do not know which source gave such information. BCCI has not put out any official information regarding this," he told ThePrint over the phone.

The provisional schedule indicates that India is set to play all their matches in Lahore, including a group stage match against Pakistan. If they reach the semi-finals, it will also be held in Lahore.

However, BCCI has yet to confirm their travel plans to Pakistan. This uncertainty has led to speculation that the tournament might adopt a hybrid mode. In such a scenario, India's matches could be played at a neutral venue like Sri Lanka, similar to the 2023 Asia Cup where Rohit Sharma's team played their games in Sri Lanka.

India last visited Pakistan in 2008 and played their last bilateral series against them in 2013. Since then, encounters between the two teams have been restricted to ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup.

Government's Decision Crucial

Shukla had previously stated that the final decision on whether India will travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 rests with the Indian government. "In the case of the Champions Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India tells us to do. We will send our team only when the Government of India permits. So we will go according to the decision of the Indian government," Shukla had said earlier.

The tournament is scheduled from February to March 2025, but until an official announcement is made by BCCI or the Indian government, uncertainty remains over India's participation in Pakistan.