The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy is set to take place in 2025, with matches being held in Pakistan and a neutral location, as announced by the cricket governing body on Thursday. This significant decision is part of a larger plan for the ICC events from 2024 to 2027, which specifies that any matches between India and Pakistan will occur at neutral sites during this timeframe.

This change affects several major tournaments on the horizon, including the 2025 Champions Trophy, the 2025 Women’s World Cup in India, and the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

There were a lot of rumors floating around about the future of the Champions Trophy, especially with the BCCI not wanting to head to Pakistan, which created some logistical headaches for the tournament. The BCCI pointed to safety issues as the main reason for their decision, while the PCB countered that India should stick to the agreement since Pakistan had played in the 2023 World Cup in India.

To keep things running smoothly and ensure everyone's safety, neutral venues are being set up, especially given the ongoing political tensions between these two cricket powerhouses.

The Champions Trophy is set to kick off next February and March, featuring eight top-notch teams: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and Pakistan.

Pakistan will be coming in as the defending champions after their victory over India in the 2017 tournament. This will be the first time Pakistan hosts the tournament since it started back in 1998.

On top of that, Pakistan has also landed the hosting rights for the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup, which will again see neutral venues for matches between India and Pakistan.

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