Rajeev Shukla confirmed India's Champions Trophy 2025 participation? BCCI vice-president's fresh statement stuns Indian cricket

The focus has now completely turned towards the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after the T20 World Cup 2024. The 50-over tournament is all set to take place in Pakistan in February-March next year. This will be the first time that event will be played after 2017.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has started the preparations in full flow but one of the biggest challenges that they will be facing is the availability of the Indian team. The Men in Blue traveling to Pakistan for the tournament currently remains the hot topic in the cricketing World and so far there has been no clarity about it.

India and Pakistan don't share good relations between them and hence the cricket between the two teams is also restricted. The arch-rivals are up against each other only in the ICC events and Asia Cups, with the last bilateral series between them being played in 2012-13.

There have been several reports that claimed that India won't travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and hence the tournament will be played in a hybrid model with India games slated to take place in either Dubai or Sri Lanka. It was learned that BCCI had already put forward the same statement to ICC.

During the recent Asia Cup 2023, a similar kind of situation arose. The tournament was slated to take place in Pakistan but BCCI didn't agree to send their team. Hence, it paved the way for the hybrid model to take place. India's games along with the final of the tournament were played in Sri Lanka while Pakistan also saw few games being played.

But this time around for the champions trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board is stern in its statement that it won't move the tournament out of their country. There have been reports stating that the governing body has categorically told that if India doesn't want to visit Pakistan, they can opt out of the tournament.

Various BCCI officials have stated that India's travel to Pakistan will depend on the government's call. However, if the Rohit Sharma-led side didn't travel and opt out of the tournament then Sri Lanka National Cricket Team will replace them in the event as the 8th team.

Rajeev Shukla quashes all the reports of India not traveling to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025

With reports about India not traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025 making rounds, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Rajeev Shukla made a massive statement. The governing body official quashed all the reports and stated that they didn't put any information related to this. Speaking to Print over the phone, he stated:

"We do not know which source gave such information. BCCI has not put out any official information regarding this."

Pakistan Cricket Board on the other hand has already released the draft schedule for the Champions Trophy 2025. The reports also mentioned that India vs Pakistan will be taking place at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 1. With almost all the planning done for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, it remains to be seen if India will travel to Pakistan or not.