India to visit Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025? Rajeev Shukla reveals BCCI's final stand on the matter

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has reconfirmed the board's stand on Team India visiting Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy next year.

Pakistan have the hosting rights for the marquee event, scheduled to be played in February-March next year. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently stated that the preparations for the competitions are underway and they have already sent the draft schedule and the venues to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"We want the complete Champions Trophy in Pakistan. We have already submitted the schedule to the ICC. The ICC security team came to Pakistan and they were very happy with the arrangements," PCB president Mohsin Naqvi had told the media last month.

While Pakistan are confident of hosting the entire Champions Trophy, there are huge doubts over it because of India's stand. At present, there is very little clarity over whether India would visit Pakistan due to the political tension between the two countries. 

Will India travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy?

The bilateral relationship between the two cricket boards is suspended and India and Pakistan play against each other only in ICC competitions and the Asia Cup. India have not visited Pakistan since 2008 and it would not be very surprising if they decide against Pakistan next year as well for the Champions Trophy.

Last year, India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. As a result, the PCB had to come up with a hybrid model which saw most of the games including all of India's games taking place in Sri Lanka. The Champions Trophy could also suffer a similar fate as Rajeev Shukla reiterated that the BCCI will do whatever the Government of India tells them.

Time and again, the BCCI has stated that the bilateral relation with the PCB won't resume without the government's permission. And the decision to visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy will also depend on the government's stand.

"In the case of the Champion Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India will tell us to do. We send our team only when the Government of India gives us permission. So we will go according to the decision of the Indian government," Shukla told ANI.

#WATCH | Delhi: On the Champion Trophy to be held in Pakistan next year, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said, "In the case of the Champion Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India will tell us to do. We send our team only when the Government of India gives us… pic.twitter.com/TeA3dZ5Twn

— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan will be facing each other next month in the ICC T20 World Cu 2024. The game is scheduled to take place on June 9 in New York.