ICC Champions Trophy 2025: BCCI issues statement on Rohit Sharma's travel to Pakistan

For the last few days, there were speculations of India's captain Rohit Sharma travelling to Pakistan to take part in the customary captains' meet before the tournament. Some reports claimed Rohit to make at least a single appearance in Pakistan for this meet.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally broken its silence on this issue. The board's newly-elected secretary Devajit Saikia opened up on Rohit's participation in the captains' meet and claimed not to have received any such proposal so far.

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BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia breaks silence on Rohit Sharma's travel to Pakistan

While speaking to The Telegraph, Devajit Saikia mentioned that it has not been a part of discussions with the ICC which means that the chances of Rohit Sharma traveling for the Champions Trophy to Pakistan are low.

"We haven't got any such proposal. This hasn't been part of our discussions with the ICC," Saikia said.

Devajit Saikia was recently appointed BCCI's new secretary. He replaced Jay Shah, who vacated the post to become ICC's new chairman. Shah's tenure as ICC Chairman began on December 1, 2024.

While Saikia didn't confirm Rohit Sharma's participation in the captains' meet, a close source called this a very delicate situation and felt that India needs to find a compromise formula to resolve the crisis as Pakistan are the hosts.

This is a very delicate situation and every step has to be taken after judging its repercussions. India have to find a compromise formula to solve the crisis since Pakistan will enjoy certain benefits by virtue of being the hosts," the source was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

Opening ceremony to be held in Pakistan

According to PTI, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already made it clear to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that the opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy 2025 will not be moved out of Pakistan.

The ceremony will feature the captains of all the respective participating nations. The PCB is planning a grand ceremony for the Champions Trophy to celebrate the return of an ICC event in Pakistan after a long gap of 29 years. Pakistan last hosted an ICC event in 1996 when they hosted an ODI World Cup.

Champions Trophy 2025 schedule

The Champions Trophy 2025 will be played in Pakistan and UAE in a hybrid model. All the matches of the tournament, except the ones consisting of India, will be held in Pakistan's three cities - Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi.

The Champions Trophy will be played from February 19 to March 9. The opening match will be played between the hosts Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19 at Karachi while the final will be played in Lahore or Dubai, depending on India's availability.

India will play all its matches of Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai after their government declined permission for the team to travel to Pakistan. If India manages to qualify for the knockouts, the matches will continue to be held in Dubai.