The International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy will return after an eight-year break, and Pakistan will hold a tournament from February 19th to March 9th.
The tournament will be the ICC’s only men’s limited over competition in 2025, with eight teams competing to lift the trophy and adorn the winner’s white blazer.
This is the ultimate guide to Al Jazeera tournaments:
What is the Champions Trophy? Why is it so important to Pakistan?
Originally named ICC Knockout, the championship was devised as an elite tournament among cricket test-play countries, to close the four-year gap between the ICC’s 50-over World Cup and help the game expand globally. was devised in.
The first edition was held in Bangladesh in 1998, and South Africa won the award.
With the introduction of the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup and the 2019 ICC World Test Championship, the Champions Trophy was cancelled after the 2017 edition, hosted by England and won by Pakistan.
As the tournament makes a comeback in the 9th edition, the owners have held Pakistan’s largest international sporting event in 29 years.
South Asian countries last held an ICC event in 1996, and in March 2009, gun attacks on Sri Lankan cricket team buses in Lahore continued to cause cancellations or disruptions of professional cricket tours in Pakistan. did.
For Pakistan, hosting a successful international tournament will help change the nation’s perception, cricket experts told Al Jazeera.
Which teams are participating in the Champions Trophy 2025 and what format is it?
Hosting Pakistan, the top seven ODI teams of the 2023 Cricket World Cup group competed in the Champions Trophy. The tournament is divided into simple group stages and knockout stage formats.
In the 2025 edition, High Fly Fly Limited Overside Afghanistan makes his tournament debut.
Following round robin equipment, the top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
Group A: Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, New Zealand
Group B: Australia, South Africa, Afghanistan, UK
Afghanistan is ready for their maiden #championstrophy outing pic.twitter.com/lsyyv71xum
– ICC (@ICC) February 13, 2025
When will the opening match be made and when will the Champions Trophy finale be made?
Pakistan will host New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday, February 19th.
The final is scheduled for March 9th, and the venue will be eligible for Indian matches.
Group stage matches will be held from February 19th to March 2nd, with the semi-finals being held on March 4th and 5th.
The full tournament match schedule is available here.
Why doesn’t India play games in Pakistan?
Until a few weeks before the opening fixture, the tournament schedule was dependent on India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan (based on the ostensible government instructions).
A months-long standoff was resolved when Pakistan’s Cricket Board (PCB) accepted the tournament’s hybrid model of The-for-Tat. An ICC event hosted by India.
The ICC and PCB have agreed to move three group matches and one semi-final to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The final will be hosted at Pakistan’s cricket headquarters in Lahore, but if India qualifies, they can move to Dubai.
Where will the Champions Trophy Match be played?
Pakistan has chosen Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi as the three host cities of the tournament. Dubai was added to the list as a neutral venue in December 2024.
National Stadium in Karachi: One of Pakistan’s oldest and most famous cricket fields, National Stadium has since opened in 1955, hosted hundreds of iconic tests and limited matches. Following a major renovation of the Champions Trophy, the opening match of the tournament will be held. Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: Gaddafi Stadium, the headquarters of PCB and Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy, is ingrained in history, with the final of the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup, when Sri Lanka lifted its trophy in front of a fierce crowd was held. Located in the city known as Pakistan’s Beating Heart, the 34,000-capacity venue will require three group matches, the second semi-final and the final venue to be eligible for India. Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium: Despite its relatively small size and capacity of 18,000, the Pindi Stadium is famous for being constantly packed into the rafters of most international fixtures, whether it’s a test match or limited game. The venue’s location in the Twin City of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, is easily accessible for fans. Three group matches will be held on February 27th, including Pakistani fixtures against Bangladesh. Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates: In the 16 years since the inauguration, the venue has established itself as an international “neutral” venue for Pakistan and the ICC. tournament. With modern “Ring of Fire” lighting and compact design, the venue will be a cauldron when India plays three group games, including a very important match against Pakistan. Dubai will also hold its first semi-finals on March 4th and the final on March 9th.
When and where will the India vs Pakistan group match?
The marquee fixture was originally scheduled for March 2nd, but the match moved in Dubai on Sunday, February 23rd following a deadlock and a final agreement between the two countries.
With the suspension of bilateral tours between South Asian rivals, the teams only played against each other during the ICC tournament, which became the only one of the Indian vs Pakistan men’s fixtures in 2025.
With fans from both countries and around the world expected to pack the venue, temperatures will run high on the field, and players will seize the opportunity to gain bragging rights with one of the most anticipated sports equipment of the year I’m aiming to do that.
The first ball will be bowled at 09:00 GMT, but live buildup to Al Jazeera’s match will begin at 04:00 GMT.
Which one is your favorite to win the Champions Trophy?
Here are Al Jazeera’s top picks in the title:
Pakistan: The defending champion is based not only on the host but also on the recent excellent format execution in ODI format. Mohammad Rizwan’s side is nothing more than winning an ICC title at home. This is a feat that has never been achieved in two previous attempts. India: ICC’s top ranked ODI team will take part in the Champions Trophy with England’s 3-0 draving and a T20 world title in bags. The tournament could play a part in Odi Cricket due to some of India’s biggest icons, including Captain Rohitsharuma and Starbatter Virat Kohli. New Zealand: The modest black cap is sneaking into the top quarter of the ICC’s ODI rankings following his Trination Series victory in Pakistan, looking to win his second Champions Trophy title since 2000.
Who are the top players to watch?
The top five players Al Jazeera chose are:
Babar Azam (Pakistan) Shubman Gil (India) Jos Butler (England) Glen Maxwell (Australia) Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
Which top players miss the tournament?
Captain Pat Cummins, who won the Australian World Cup, and India’s world-leading pace bowler Jasplit Bumra are the biggest names missing from their respective team rosters.
This is Al Jazeera’s complete team guide.
What is the prize money for the Champions Trophy?
The ICC dramatically increased its tournament total awards to $6.9 million, up 53% from the previous edition.
Here is the breakdown of the total:
Champion: Runner-up at $22.4 million: Lost $11.2 million: Semi-financer: $560,000 5th and 6th positions: $350,000 7th and 8th positions: $140,000
Who was the winner in the past?
Among the participants in this edition, both Australia and India have won the tournament twice, while Bangladesh and the UK have not yet won the title.
1998: South Africa 2000: New Zealand 2002: India and Sri Lanka (co-winners) 2004: West Indies 2006: Australia 2009: India 2013: India 2017: Pakistan
Are there any special rules, play conditions, or spare dates for the Champions Trophy?
Standard rules and regulations for ODI match games apply to all equipment.
If the match ends in a tie, the winner is determined through a super over. This is an additional per-side addition that acts as an eliminator based on the team’s victory in the One Over Contest.
In the points system, the winning team bag displays 2 points, but no results.
The semi-finals are assigned to the top two teams in each group based on points. A tie in points will reduce the team with the highest winning team qualifies and if it becomes a tie, teams with higher netrun rates.
Both the semi-finals and finals are allocated on reserve days.
How can fans purchase tickets for the Champions Trophy?
Tickets for the tournament were released phase by phase on the ICC’s official online ticketing platform and vendors across Pakistan.
Tickets for the finals will be available for purchase after the end of the first semi-final in Dubai, as venues will be confirmed based on India’s fate in the tournament.
How do I follow and stream Champions Trophy Match?
The tournament is streamed by many official TV, digital and radio stations in various regions.
Al Jazeera Sport offers live prematch buildups as well as text and photo commentary streams for group stage matches and picks for all three knockout games.
What is cricket and how is it played?
This is a simple game of bats and balls involving 11 players on each team, but the rules can be a little complicated. Al Jazeera will break it down for you here.
