India will play all their matches of the Champions Trophy in Dubai with the marquee clash against arch-rivals Pakistan scheduled on Feb 23, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced.
As has with ICC events, India and Pakistan have been clubbed in the same group which also has New Zealand and Bangladesh. Group B comprises South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan and England.
The tournament opener will be played in Karachi on Feb 19 when hosts Pakistan face New Zealand and the final is scheduled for March 9. The premier 50-over event, last played in 2017, will have 15 matches with at least 10 games scheduled in Pakistan.
Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three hosting venues in Pakistan with the second semifinal to be staged at the refurbished Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
“Lahore will also host the final on March 9, unless India qualify, in which case it will be played in Dubai. Both the semifinals and the final will have reserve days,” said the ICC in a statement.
India will open their campaign against Bangladesh on Feb 20 before taking on Pakistan three days later. Their final league fixture will be against New Zealand on March 2.
Group B action begins on Feb 21 when Afghanistan square up against South Africa in Karachi. A big weekend then kicks off with rivals England and Australia clashing in Lahore on Feb 22.
The eight sides in the Champions Trophy are the teams that finished in the top eight in the points table at ODI World Cup in India last year.
The schedule was announced after a deadlock over the hosting of the tournament ended with the ICC keeping India’s games at a neutral venue while having a similar arrangement for Pakistan for ICC events in India till 2027.
The hybrid arrangement will also apply to the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup in India and the T20 World Cup in 2026 in India and Sri Lanka before being extended to the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup which Pakistan will host. India had refused to travel to Pakistan for the event due to security concerns.
