In a significant development ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Team India captain Rohit Sharma may not attend the pre-tournament photoshoot and press conference in Pakistan.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that Rohit Sharma will not travel to Pakistan for the event’s opening ceremony.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan and the UAE. Matches in Pakistan will be held in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, while India will play all their games in Dubai, including the final if they qualify. India and Pakistan will face off on February 23 in Dubai.
BCCI Confirms Rohit Sharma Will Not Travel to Pakistan for Photoshoot
The host nation typically arranges a key event with all participating team captains. This includes a photoshoot and press conference where the captains share their thoughts on the upcoming competition. For the Champions Trophy, all eight captains, including Rohit Sharma, were expected to attend this event.
According to a report by Times of India, the BCCI revealed that the board has asked the ICC to move these events, which are set to occur just before the tournament begins, from Pakistan to Dubai.
“ICC has already accommodated India’s request to not schedule its CT matches in Pakistan, so these are minor issues,” the source told TOI on Tuesday.
Rohit Sharma’s India Doesn’t Want Pakistan’s Name on Its Jerseys
The BCCI also instructed its players not to wear jerseys with Pakistan’s name on them. The PCB is unhappy with the BCCI’s actions and is seeking intervention from the ICC. A PCB official expressed concerns, accusing the BCCI of bringing politics into cricket and adding that the ICC would not allow this.
“The BCCI is bringing politics into cricket, which is not at all good for the game. They refused to travel to Pakistan. They don’t want to send their captain (to Pakistan) for the opening ceremony. Now there are reports that they don’t want the host nation’s (Pakistan) name printed on their jerseys. We believe that the world governing body (ICC) will not let this happen and support Pakistan,” a PCB official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
India Placed in Group A Alongside Pakistan for Champions Trophy
During the 2022 Asia Cup, India and Pakistan wore jerseys that featured “Sri Lanka” on them, as the tournament was held in the UAE due to Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. However, in the 2023 edition, the host nation (Pakistan) was not included on the jerseys, as the event was played under the hybrid model.
For the upcoming Champions Trophy, India is placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand. India will begin their campaign with a match against Bangladesh on February 20. India was the runner-up in the 2017 Champions Trophy, losing to Pakistan by 180 runs in the final match.
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