The Indian team will play its matches in Dubai, while the event will take place in Pakistan using a partnership or fusion formula. Lahore will also host the final if India don’t make it to the final.
According to information, Pakistan will host the Champions Trophy in early 2025. At first, India had endangered the event by threatening to boycott it.
Under a hybrid model, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) insisted that its matches be held in the United Arab Emirates. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took a strong stand, declaring that Pakistani teams had always been to India to play, but the Indian team never visits Pakistan. This time, negotiations would take place on equal terms and there would be no compromise.
For any ICC event in the following three years, a partnership or fusion model was suggested, in which the teams of both nations would play their games at neutral locations. COO Sameer Syed and former COO Salman Naseer traveled to Dubai to continue talks after a few days of deliberations. Sources claim that the two parties have now come to an agreement. The Champions Trophy will still be held in Pakistan the following year, but the Indian squad will play their games in the United Arab Emirates. The matches would also be held in Dubai if India makes it to the semifinals or finals. The final, however, will take place in Lahore if India fails to qualify. This arrangement has been accepted by the ICC.
The 2026 T20 World Cup will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Instead of playing their matches in India, Pakistan will play in Sri Lanka. No agreement could be achieved on the PCBs proposal to hold a triangular tournament in the UAE to make up for the financial loss incurred by India’s absence. However, an ICC Women’s event will be held in Pakistan after 2027.
According to PCB sources, a major breakthrough has occurred, and the majority of the issues have been resolved. By this Saturday, final agreements should be concluded. The sources also stated that India had agreed to Pakistan’s demands, but they stressed that the agreement must be signed before it can be deemed final. Although they currently think that the situation won’t worsen, PCB leaders said they would not compromise on their demands and were prepared to do whatever it took to get a fair agreement.
However, according to ICC insiders, negotiations are still in progress and a media release will be issued with an official decision, though it is unclear when this will happen.
In conclusion, the 2025 Champions Trophy hybrid model has been accepted, with India playing their matches in the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan serving as the host nation. In a same vein, Pakistan will not participate in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India; instead, Sri Lanka will host their matches. After 2027, Pakistan is also scheduled to host the ICC Women’s tournament.
