Champions Trophy 2025: Opening Ceremony at Historic Hazuri Bagh, But ICC Yet to Confirm Dates

The Champions Trophy opening ceremony is to be held on February 16 at Hazuri Bagh Fort, the fort built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore. However, according to PTI news, the dates have not been confirmed by the ICC yet. It is reported that there will be a photo session and then a press meeting with all the team captains. Whether Indian captain Rohit Sharma will attend the event is also not known.

Hazuri Bagh is a historical garden in Lahore, Pakistan. It was built during the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. At its heart lies the Hazuri Bagh Baradari, which he constructed in 1818 after he had received the Kohinoor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani in 1813. The opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy will be held here, and celebrities, cricket legends, and top Pakistani officials will be there. It was just last month that the Pakistan Super League also opened its grand opеning at this venue.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, will be inaugurating the Gaddafi Stadium on February 7, and the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, will be opening the PCB National Stadium in Karachi on February 11. Pakistan will play New Zealand on February 19 in the first match of the Champions Trophy. At the moment, both stadiums are undergoing renovation in order to be ready for the tournament.

All of Team India's matches in the Champions Trophy will be held at the Dubai International Stadium. All the matches of the tеam were scheduled in Dubai only as the BCCI did not agree to send the tеam to Pakistan. Pakistan will be making a return to the tournament as the defending champion. They clinched the last Champions Trophy in 2017 under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed, when they dеfeated India by 180 runs in the final.