India refuses to travel to Pakistan for 2025 Champions Trophy: report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has declined to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, citing security concerns.

According to Indian Express, the BCCI has formally notified the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), requesting that India’s matches be relocated to Dubai instead.

India’s concerns come on the heels of their T20 World Cup victory, which ended an 11-year drought of ICC trophies. The Champions Trophy is set to return after an eight-year hiatus, scheduled for Pakistan—marking the country’s first ICC-hosted tournament since the 1996 ODI World Cup. Due to political tension between the neighboring countries, doubts about India's participation in Pakistan have persisted.

"This has been our stance, and there is no reason to change it," said a source close to the BCCI. "We have written to the PCB and requested that our games be shifted to Dubai."

The PCB has yet to publicly respond to BCCI’s request, though sources have suggested a willingness to "adjust" if necessary. According to a PTI report, the PCB may consider a "hybrid model" in which India’s matches would be held in the UAE, but only if India’s government declines permission for the team to travel to Pakistan.

However, PCB sources have since clarified that, as of now, there are no plans to implement a hybrid model for the tournament.

"No consideration is being given to any hybrid model," a PCB official stated, reaffirming that all matches for the Champions Trophy are intended to be held within Pakistan.