As per the report, in the draft schedule for the Champion Trophy, which is going to be held next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board has put all the matches of Team India in Lahore. Pakistan is going to host the multi-team ICC event in 2025, and the report suggests that the Pakistan Cricket Board is looking for a February window to host the competition. Due to its close proximity to the Wagah Border, which is the crossing line between India and Pakistan, Lahore has been chosen by the cricket board to host the Indian cricket team. The reports mention that the city is also going to host the finals of the Champion Trophy.
For the Champions Trophy PCB has selected Karachi, Rawalpindi along with Lahore as the Venues, but the reason behind team India playing in only one venue is very simple; it also eases the logistics and security preparation and also reduces the headache for the fans of team India in terms of traveling.
Team India has not travelled to Pakistan in the last 17 years, with their last stop being the 2008 Asia Cup. The diplomatic relationships along with the Political tension between the two countries have resulted in no bilateral cricket series between the two cricketers for over 11 years.
Last year Pakistan was the original host of Asia Cup but as team India denied traveling to Pakistan the Asia Cup was played in a hybrid model. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team played all of their matches, including the finals, in Sri Lanka. In the month of October, the Pakistan team travelled to India today to play in the ODI World Cup 2023 and played across all five venues, which are Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad.
According to another report by the general manager of the ICC, Wasim Khan visited Lahore, where he talked with the Pakistan cricket board over the Champions Trophy, mainly about the potential schedule of India in the tournament.
As per the statement of a source from the Pakistan Cricket Board, the ICC general manager, Wasim Khan, also recently visited Lahore, where he discussed the Champions Trophy arrangement with the top officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board, and it was also suggested that Indian cricket team travel will be kept to a minimum.
The chairman of the board, Mohsin Naqvi, has maintained that all the teams are going to play for the champion trophy in Pakistan according to the schedule. He also informed us that the renovation work on the stadium is going to start very soon.
