The Champions Trophy 2025 Curtain Raiser event occurred on Sunday night at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, before the tournament's commencement on February 19 between host Pakistan and fellow title contenders New Zealand.

There will be 15 matches in Pakistan and Dubai, as India refused to travel to its neighbors and instead agreed to play in the neutral United Arab Emirates.

This tournament is Pakistan's first hosting of an ICC event since 1996. Games will take place in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. Members of the 2017 trophy-winning Pakistan squad attended the fully lit Curtain Raiser event at Lahore Fort.

However, a fresh controversy erupted after The footage, which soon went viral online, showed the flags of other participating countries conspicuously displayed at the venue while India's tricolor was mysteriously missing.

Similar allegations were leveled against the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where an event was staged ahead of the championship. According to sources, the flags of seven competing nations were displayed, with India the sole exception. The footage of the incident also went viral.

This development startled followers and sparked a heated debate on social media. However, the veracity of the footage could not be independently confirmed.

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While the specific reason for the Indian flag's absence is unknown, conjecture says that it could be because the Indian team is not playing any matches in Pakistan. Due to political tensions and security concerns, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chose a hybrid arrangement, ensuring that India played all of its matches in Dubai.