Pakistan is the reigning title holders of the ICC Champions Trophy.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly identified the window for the Champions Trophy 2025 tournament. This tournament is supposed to be held in Pakistan.
As per the Cricbuzz report, the ICC has identified a window from February 19 to March 9 for the tournament.
Multiple sources from multiple boards and the International Cricket Council (ICC) related to the 50-over championship have verified the 20 days designated for the eight-team competition, which will take place for the first time since 2017. In the previous season, Pakistan won the trophy by defeating India in the final at The Oval.
The schedule for the tournament will be fitted in a 20-day window with the exact dates and schedule to be revealed later. According to the disclosed window, however, February 19 is a Wednesday, and March 9 is a Sunday.
The 2017 edition had a 19-day window, with the tournament starting on a Thursday (June 1) and concluding on a Sunday (June 18).
The Champions Trophy's proposed dates appear to have been shared with member boards, allowing them to adapt their league schedules accordingly. The IL T20 has confirmed that its third edition will take place from January 11 to February 9, within the same time frame as the SA20's third season. According to a recent SA20 announcement, the season will begin on January 9 and go until February 8.
Meanwhile, the other big issue that ICC and the hosts Pakistan Cricket Board face is whether India will travel to Pakistan or not for the Champions Trophy 2025.
It remains unclear whether all Champions Trophy matches will be held in Pakistan. With the BJP government coming to power in India, the present policy toward Pakistan is expected to continue, but no formal statement has yet been issued. If the same policy is followed, the hybrid model utilized for last year's Asia Cup may be adopted, with part of the competition taking place in the UAE.
"We will have some idea in the next two months," said an informed source told Cricbuzz.
Clarity is expected at the ICC's annual convention in Colombo in July. By then, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should have a clearer knowledge of the government's approach to the competition.
Cricbuzz previously stated that the PCB has designated Lahore as the lone venue for India games so that the Indian squad would not have to travel to many locations and fans could simply pass over to Lahore via the Wagah border.