The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla spoke on the chances of India travelling to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy in early 2025. Pakistan is set to host its first ICC tournament since the 1996 ODI World Cup. However, there are speculations regarding India's potential absence from the event due to the political tensions between the two neighbouring nations.
Rajeev Shukla has opened up on what will be BCCI's move regarding the Indian team's travel to Pakistan for the global tournament. "In the case of the Champion Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India will tell us to do. We send our team only when the Government of India gives us permission. So we will go according to the decision of the Indian government," Shukla said to news agency ANI.
According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, the Pakistan Cricket Board has proposed three venues - Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi - for the Champions Trophy, which is likely to take place in February next year. Another report by the same website stated that all of India's games are likely to take place in Lahore as per the draft schedule for the tournament. The big question remains the same will the Men in Blue travel across borders for the tournament or not?
No Indian cricket team has played in Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008. The last bilateral series between the two sides came way back in December 2012 and January 2013. Since then the two arch-rivals have met only in ICC events and in the Asia Cup tournaments.
Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup last year in September in a hybrid model. India did not travel to their neighbouring country and their matches were held in Sri Lanka. The two India vs Pakistan clashes were held in Kandy and Colombo and the final also took place in the latter city.
Pakistan raised a hybrid model prospect for the ODI World Cup 2023 in India but that did not materialise. They played all of their games across five venues - Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata - in the league stage and then failed to qualify for the knockout stages too.
