India’s matches will be held at a neutral venue, with Dubai and Colombo being the potential locations.
Champions Trophy 2025: Tentative schedule revealed. A preliminary schedule for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy was unveiled on social media by RevSportz, an Indian news outlet, on Saturday. The tentative schedule reveals the group matchups and the venues where the games will take place.
Group A Matchups: The first group, according to the schedule, includes Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and India. India’s group stage will begin on February 20, with a match against Bangladesh. India will then face Pakistan on February 23, followed by a game against New Zealand on March 2.
The opening match of the tournament will see Pakistan face New Zealand on February 19. Pakistan’s second game against India is scheduled for February 23, followed by their final group stage match against Bangladesh on February 27.
New Zealand, who will play Pakistan on February 19 and India on March 2, will face Bangladesh on February 24.
Group B Matchups: The second group features Australia, South Africa, Afghanistan, and England. Afghanistan’s first match will be on February 21 against South Africa, followed by matches against England on February 26 and Australia on February 28.
South Africa’s group stage will start with a game against Afghanistan on February 21, followed by matches against Australia on February 25 and England on March 1.
Australia’s first match will be against England on February 22.
Knockout Stage and Timings: The semi-finals will take place on March 4 and March 5, with the final scheduled for March 9, all at a neutral venue. All group stage matches and knockout games are set to begin at 2 PM PST, according to the schedule.
Venues: For Group A, India’s matches will be held at a neutral venue, with Dubai and Colombo being the potential locations.
The tentative schedule suggests that Karachi will host three matches, including the tournament opener between Pakistan and New Zealand, Afghanistan vs South Africa, and South Africa vs England. Lahore will see Australia vs England, Afghanistan vs England, and Afghanistan vs Australia.
Rawalpindi will host three group stage matches: Bangladesh vs New Zealand, Australia vs South Africa, and Pakistan vs Bangladesh.
Earlier reports indicated that Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium might not be used due to its lack of spider cameras, which are necessary to meet Champions Trophy standards. The ICC had suggested reducing the number of venues to keep costs manageable, including camera installation, accommodations, and travel.
Despite this, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly keen to host matches in the previously announced three stadiums, maintaining the excitement around the tournament.
