The ICC Champions Trophy schedule has been announced ahead of the tournament's long-awaited return in 2025.
The 50-over tournament returns to the international calendar for the first time since 2017, with Pakistan hosting a global cricket event for the first time since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with the India and Sri Lanka.
The 2025 competition is set to mirror the format used in 2017, with eight sides divided into two groups of four. Each team plays the others in their pool once, after which the top two teams advance to the semi-finals.
The semi-final winners will then compete in the final on March 9 in Lahore, where they will try to get their hands on the Champions Trophy and the iconic white jacket.
Defending champions and hosts Pakistan are in Group A along with Bangladesh, India and New Zealand, who will play them in the opening match of the tournament in Karachi on February 19.
Group B consists of Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa, with England's first game seeing them face old rivals Australia in Lahore on February 22 ahead of an unmissable contest between Pakistan and India on February 23 in Dubai.
Pakistan beat India by 180 runs to win the ICC Champions Trophy at the Oval in 2017
Where are games played?
Stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi host matches in Pakistan, with matches involving India held in Dubai.
The neutral venue in the United Arab Emirates was chosen after the ICC confirmed that all matches between Pakistan and India in ICC tournaments, both men's and women's and including Next year's Women's World Cup, played at neutral venues until at least 2027.
Political tensions between the two countries have led to a strain on sporting relations and India, cricket's richest and most powerful nation, has not played a match in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.
As a result, India will play in semi-final 1 in Dubai if they qualify, with Pakistan assigned in semi-final 2 in Lahore if they advance. The final, scheduled to be held in Lahore on March 9, will be shifted to the UAE if India qualifies.
India will play their Champions Trophy matches in the United Arab Emirates
What is the ICC Champions Trophy?
The 50-over World Cup, basically.
While the Word Cup is arguably bloated – the 2023 edition took more than six weeks to complete – the Champions Cup is short and sharp, done and dusted in about two weeks.
Pakistan are the defending champions after defeating arch-rivals India in the final at the Kia Oval six years ago, while India and Australia have won the most titles. win with two each.
ICC Champions Trophy Table
Group A
- February 19: Pakistan vs New Zealand (Karachi)
- February 20: Bangladesh v India (Dubai)
- February 23: Pakistan v India (Dubai)
- February 24: Bangladesh vs New Zealand (Rawalpindi)
- February 27: Pakistan vs Bangladesh (Rawalpindi)
- March 2: New Zealand v India (Dubai)
Group B
- February 21: Afghanistan vs South Africa (Karachi)
- 22 February: Australia v England (Lahore)
- February 25: Australia v South Africa (Rawalpindi)
- 26 February: Afghanistan v England (Lahore)
- February 28: Afghanistan vs Australia (Lahore)
- March 1: South Africa v England (Karachi)
Semi-finals
- March 4: Semi-final 1, A1 v B2 (Dubai)
- March 5: Semi-final 2, A2 v B1 (Lahore)
Final
- March 9: Winner of semi-final 1 v Winner of semi-final 2 (Lahore)
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