Champions Trophy 2025: Dubai Confirmed as Neutral Venue for India Matches

Dubai has bеen finalised as the neutral venue for India's matches in the Champions Trophy. If Rohit Sharma's team makes it to the semi-finals or final, those matches will also take place in the UAE. A reliable source from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sharеd that this decision came after a meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and UAE Cricket Board head Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak on Saturday night.

The two officials met to sort out the logistical and administrative arrangements for the tournament, which will be hosted by Pakistan. Sheikh Nahyan, who is currently spending time in Sindh's Ghotki region, and Naqvi, who also serves as the country's interior minister, reached a mutual agreement. The ICC had already earlier settled the hosting issue; India's games will indeed be held at a neutral venue, while Pakistan would get similar arrangements for games to be held in India up until 2027.

Lahore Likely to Host Champions Trophy Final if India Misses Out

The ICC is now expected to issue the final schedule for the Champions Trophy, with Pakistan likely hosting 9 to 10 matches. According to a source, The final will be in Lahore if India doеsn’t qualify for the final, the source said. Other upcoming tournaments to use this hybrid hosting model are the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan, nеxt year's Women's Cricket World Cup in India, and the 2026 T20 World Cup jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

India refused to travel to Pakistan for the event scheduled during February-March due to security reasons. The Indian side hasn't played a game in Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that led to 150 casualties. The last bilateral series that was played between the two nations dates back to 2012. In addition, there is also the need to acquire permission from the Indian government to travel to Pakistan as it has always remained opposed to this.

The BCCI always insisted on India not traveling to Pakistan, but the matter took longer to be decided owing to the PCB's objections to a "one-sided" neutral venue plan. Now with Mohsin Naqvi at the helm of affairs the PCB did not want to back down for fear of facing backlash from local fans. Although the PCB had deputed its team to India for the ODI World Cup last year it had vehemently opposed the hybrid model at first. It eventually agreed to it only on the condition that the arrangement would be reciprocal for future events.