The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rejected a rumoured proposal from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to facilitate India’s travel back to Chandigarh or Delhi after each match in the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy.
The tournament, scheduled for February 19 to March 9, 2025, will be held in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. Cricbuzz reported that Pakistan proposed to assist India with flights post-match, addressing concerns about India’s prolonged stay in Pakistan during the tournament.
A Dainik Jagran report, however, quoted a BCCI official denying receipt of any such proposal. The official emphasized that the BCCI would not consider it, maintaining that decisions regarding India’s participation in Pakistan rest with the Government of India.
India’s last visit to Pakistan was in 2008 for the Asia Cup. Since then, political tensions have halted bilateral cricket ties, limiting encounters to ICC events. The PCB, however, is progressing with its plans to host the tournament. Recent speculation about improving diplomatic ties followed the visit of India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, to Pakistan for the 2024 SCO summit.