ICC confirm India to play 2025 Champions Trophy matches at neutral venue

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have confirmed that India will play their 2025 Champions Trophy games at a neutral venue. Moreover, ICC events hosted by Pakistan or India until 2028 will see the other side play all their games at neutral venues. These include the 2025 women's ODI World Cup, the 2026 ICC men's T20 World Cup and the 2028 women's T20 World Cup.

With Pakistan hosting the upcoming Champions Trophy, India will co-host the 2026 men's T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka, while the 2025 women's ODI World Cup will be exclusively played in India. Meanwhile, Pakistan will host the 2028 women's T20 World Cup. All of these tournaments will follow the neutral venue system.

Notably, the cricket governing bodies of India (BCCI) and Pakistan (PCB) were at loggerheads, with the former declining to play in Pakistan owing to security issues. A consensus on the issue has been finally reached, as ICC confirmed in their statement, that read:

"India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, 19 December. This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka)."

The neutral venue for India's matches at the 2025 Champions Trophy is yet to be confirmed.

---

Eight teams to take part in the 2025 ICC Men's Champions Trophy

The ICC Champions Trophy returns after eight years, with the last edition being played in 2017. Pakistan qualified for the upcoming tournament as the hosts, while India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Bangladesh and Afghanistan qualified for the event after finishing in the top eight spots at the 2023 ICC men's ODI World Cup.

The ICC announced in their statement that the 2025 Champions Trophy schedule will be "confirmed soon." Pakistan are the defending champions, having beaten India in the final of the event in 2017.