India’s Champions Trophy Matches Likely to Be Held in the UAE

2025 Champions Trophy Likely to Be Jointly Hosted by Pakistan and UAE Following BCCI-PCB

Mumbai: The 2025 Champions Trophy is expected to be jointly hosted by Pakistan and the UAE, following an informal agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). While the formal announcement is anticipated after an ICC board meeting scheduled for Saturday, details are still subject to change.

An understanding was reached on Thursday in Dubai, where key stakeholders such as ICC Chair Jay Shah, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, BCCI’s ICC representative Devajit Saikia, and broadcasters JioStar were present, according to a BCCI official familiar with the discussions.An important step toward resolving the continuing dispute between the two boards was taken during the meeting.

The BCCI and PCB reached an in-principle agreement to employ a hybrid format for all ICC competitions between India and Pakistan for the next three years during the current media-rights cycle (2024–2027), according to an ICC official.
According to this scenario, as India and Sri Lanka will co-host the 2026 T20 World Cup, Pakistan will not go to India; instead, their matches would take place in Sri Lanka.

However, the arrangements for next year’s Women’s ODI World Cup, to be held in India, are still under discussion, and PCB has sought more time to consult with its government. As a result, the ICC board meeting was postponed to Saturday, and a final decision could be made then, provided PCB receives clearance from their government.

This new arrangement would allow India’s Champions Trophy matches to be relocated from Pakistan to the UAE. In addition, one semi-final and the final of the tournament will also take place in the UAE, depending on India’s qualification. Similar provisions will apply to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

When the BCCI notified the ICC that it could not send the Indian team to Pakistan on the advice of the Indian government because of security concerns, the conflict intensified. On the other hand, the PCB fought the hybrid approach and negotiated hard.
Among the demands made by PCB were an increased revenue share from ICC and India’s participation in a tri-series, both of which have been rejected, according to an ICC official.

As the host nation, PCB is understood to have made a deal with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to secure gate receipts from the Champions Trophy matches scheduled to be held in the UAE. The UAE’s involvement in the event’s relocation is further cemented by this agreement.

The BCCI official stated that accepting the hybrid model was seen to be the most advantageous way to guarantee the Champions Trophy went off without a hitch. The BCCI was keen to find a solution that would be seen as a team effort rather than something that was forced onto PCB, especially with Shah leading the ICC.

Shah’s visit to the Dubai headquarters, which coincided with the presence of several other member board heads, was seen as an invaluable opportunity to discuss the future of the sport. Shah expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing discussions, saying, “This visit provided an invaluable opportunity to connect with my colleagues on the ICC Board where we discussed the initial roadmap and strategies to shape the future of this incredible sport.”