ICC Champions Trophy 2025: PCB unveils complete event schedule

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a complete schedule of events for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to take place from February 19 to March 9.

Venue renovations

Three major stadiums across the country, including the Gaddafi Cricket stadium in Lahore, the National Stadium in Karachi, and the Rawalpindi Cricket stadium, have been renovated in preparation for the event.

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The upgrades aims to improve the facilities for the players and for a better spectator experience.

Opening ceremonies

The PCB has scheduled a series of opening ceremonies leading up the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament.

1. Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

The opening ceremony is scheduled for February 7, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expected to attend as the chief guest.

2. National Stadium, Karachi

An opening ceremony is schedule for February 11, with President Asif Ali Zardari expected to be the chief guest.

3. Huzuri Bagh, Lahore

The final opening ceremony is set for February 16, with participation from national figures, cricketers and ICC officials.

Participation challenges

Due to delays in the event schedule and the arrival of international teams, the participation of all team captains in the opening ceremonies is uncertain. As a result, the press conference and photo shoot with the trophy involving all eight team captain may be delayed or not take place at all.

Tournament details

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will commence on February 19, with the opening match featuring Pakistan against New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi. This will be the ninth edition of the tournament, co-hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

The event will feature eight of the top-ranked men’s national teams, qualified from the 2023 World Cup.

The tournament is particularly important for Pakistan as it’s the first time a global tournament will be hosted on home soil in 28 years, following the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team by terrorists.

The 2025 Champions Trophy will follow a format featuring a group stage and knockout rounds. The eight teams will be divided into two groups of four, with each team playing the others in their group.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, consisting of two semi-finals and a final.

A total of 15 matches will be held over the course of 19 days.

Due to ongoing political tensions, matches involving India will be played at a neutral venue in the UAE, while the remaining matches will take place in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

The semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 in Dubai and March 5 in Lahore, with the final set for March 9.

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The ICC announced the return of the Champions Trophy in November 2021, after previously cancelling future editions following the 2017 tournament.

The current edition will also see Afghanistan marking its debut, while Sri Lanka will miss out for the first time.