BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla reveals Team India's travel to Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but...

The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be held in Pakistan in February-March next year, but the major issue is whether India will travel to the country for the mega event, and this has become a hot topic of discussion among the fans and cricket fraternity.

Now, speculation is mounting about the possibility of the Indian cricket team traveling to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. However, this groundbreaking move depends on a crucial factor, and that is government approval.

Can India travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025?

The BCCI needs the necessary permissions from the Indian government to send the Indian team to Pakistan, which remains the primary obstacle.

Well, during the Uttar Pradesh Premier League (UPPL) players' auction, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla fueled the fire by revealing that they could send Team India to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, subject to government clearance.

Adding to the drama, Shukla reacted to the boiling tensions regarding the next ICC T20 World Cup, which is set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

The possibility of Pakistan pulling out of the T20 World Cup 2026 has sparked a flurry of reactions, as there are reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will boycott the mega event if India doesn’t come for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan's threats to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 have been described as bluster, with the BCCI Vice President reiterating that the decision to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025 is largely dependent on official clearance from the Indian government authorities.

Rajeev Shukla was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan: “Pakistan can say whatever it wants about coming to India during the 2026 World Cup, but we are only waiting for the approval of the Indian government.”

We expect retaliation from PCB: BCCI

Amidst the political chess game, a senior BCCI official has hinted at the potential fallout from the PCB if India does not make the trip to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2024, with all other participating countries already given the green signal to travel to the country.

With both nations playing a high-stakes game of diplomatic cricket, the resolution of this issue could unfold another drama, as a senior BCCI official revealed that the PCB may respond with retaliatory action if India decides not to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.

A senior BCCI official said: “Of course, we expect retaliation. If we don’t travel to Pakistan, they will threaten to boycott the Asia Cup. But PCB should understand that it’s not in BCCI’s hands. Sending a team to a foreign country requires the government of India’s permission. So far, we have had dialogues regarding the Champions Trophy. But we haven’t had any positive outcomes.”

Notably, the PCB has recently asked the BCCI to provide written confirmation from the Indian government if the Indian team cites security concerns as the reason for not traveling.