The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will kick off on Wednesday, with defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the tournament opener at the National Stadium in Karachi. The first ball of the match will be bowled at 2pm PKT, stated a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement on Tuesday.
The eight-team tournament will be held from 19 February to 9 March at three venues in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi—and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Pakistan is all set to host an ICC event for the first time since the World Cup 1996, which concluded with the final at the Gaddafi Stadium, where Sri Lanka defeated Australia by seven wickets.
In the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy, the three venues in Pakistan – Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, National Stadium Karachi and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium – have undergone major upgradation, offering players and spectators world-class facilities.
Pakistan entered the tournament as the defending champions, having beaten India in the final of the 2017 edition, led by Sarfaraz Ahmed. Fakhar Zaman was the player of the final for his imperious 114 off 106 deliveries, while Hasan Ali was named the player of the tournament for his tally of 13 wickets in five games.
The eight participating teams have been divided into two groups with hosts Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and New Zealand pooled in Group A, while Group B comprises Afghanistan, current ODI World Cup champions Australia, England and South Africa.
Following their opening encounter against New Zealand, Pakistan will play their next two group matches on 23 February against India in Dubai and on 27 February against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.
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In the group stage, three matches apiece will be played in Dubai, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
The first semi-final will be played on 4 March in Dubai. The newly upgraded stadium in Lahore will host the second semi-final on 5 March. If India do not qualify, the final will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium on 9 March, however, if they qualify, it will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Apart from winning this tournament in 2017, Pakistan has also reached the semi-finals of this competition on three occasions: 2000, 2004 and 2009.
Pakistan captain, Mohammad Rizwan: “A global event has come to Pakistan after 29 years, so I believe the entire nation is celebrating this historic occasion. There are no doubts about our performance, we have worked hard and learned from our mistakes. We hope that we play well tomorrow Insha’Allah.
“Our sole focus is on winning the tournament for the country and our people and we hope that we achieve the desired results.”
Pakistan’s 15-player squad:
Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wicket-keeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan.
Pakistan’s group stage fixtures in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:
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19 Feb – vs New Zealand, Karachi
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23 Feb – vs India, Dubai
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27 Feb – vs Bangladesh, Rawalpindi
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