In a significant development ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Team India captain Rohit Sharma may not attend the pre-tournament photo shoot and press conference in Pakistan.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that Rohit Sharma will not travel to Pakistan for the opening ceremony of the event.
The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to be held from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan and the UAE. Pakistan's matches will be held in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, while India will play all its matches in Dubai, including the final if it qualifies. India and Pakistan will face off on February 23 in Dubai.
Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry confirms that Rohit Sharma will not travel to Pakistan for a photo shoot
The host country usually arranges a main event with all the captains of the participating teams. This includes a photo shoot and a press conference where the leaders share their thoughts on the upcoming competition. For the Champions Trophy, all eight captains, including Rohit Sharma, were expected to attend the event.
According to a report by Times of India, the BCCI revealed that the board has asked the ICC to move these events, which are scheduled to happen just before the start of the tournament, from Pakistan to Dubai.
“The ICC has already responded to India's request not to schedule CT matches in Pakistan, so these are minor issues,” the source told TOI on Tuesday.
Rohit Sharma's India does not want Pakistan's name on its shirts
The BCCI also issued instructions to its players not to wear shirts bearing the Pakistan name. The PCB is dissatisfied with the actions of the BCCI and is seeking intervention from the ICC. A PCB official expressed his concerns, accusing the BCCI of bringing politics into cricket, and added that the ICC would not allow it.
“BCCI is bringing politics into cricket, which is not good for the game at all. They have refused to travel to Pakistan. They do not want to send their captain (to Pakistan) for the opening ceremony. Now there are reports that they do not want to print the name of the host country (Pakistan) on their shirts and we believe that the global governing body (ICC) will not allow that to happen and is supporting Pakistan,” a PCB official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
India was placed in Group A alongside Pakistan for the Champions Trophy
During the 2022 Asian Cup, India and Pakistan wore T-shirts with the word “Sri Lanka” written on them, as the tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates due to the economic crisis that Sri Lanka is going through. However, in the 2023 edition, the host nation (Pakistan) is not listed on the shirts, as the event was organized under the hybrid model.
For the upcoming Champions Trophy, India has been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand. India will start their campaign with a match against Bangladesh on February 20. India was runner-up in the 2017 Champions Trophy, losing to Pakistan by 180 runs in the final.
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