ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Groups, Fixtures, Schedule, Venues, Live on Sky Sports | Cricket news

The schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy has been announced ahead of the tournament’s long-awaited return in 2025.

The 50-over competition returns to the international calendar for the first time since 2017, with Pakistan hosting a global cricket event for the first time since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

The 2025 tournament is set to mirror the format used in 2017, with eight sides divided into two groups of four. Each team plays the others in their pool once, after which the top two advance to the semi-finals.

The semi-final winners will then compete in the final on March 9 in Lahore, where they will compete to win the Champions Trophy and the iconic white jacket.

Defending champions and hosts Pakistan are in Group A along with Bangladesh, India and New Zealand, who they play in the tournament opener in Karachi on February 19.

Group B consists of Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa, with England facing old rivals Australia in Lahore on February 22 in their first game before the must-see Pakistan-India contest on February 23 in Dubai.

Where are the matches played?

Stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi will host the matches in Pakistan, while the matches in India will be held in Dubai.

The neutral venue in the United Arab Emirates was chosen after the ICC confirmed that all matches between Pakistan and India in ICC tournaments, both men’s and women’s, including next year’s Women’s World Cup, will be played at neutral venues until at least 2027.

Political tensions between the two nations have led to strained sporting relations, with India, cricket’s richest and most powerful country, not playing a single match in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.

As a result, India will play in Semi-Final 1 in Dubai if they qualify and Pakistan have been allotted Semi-Final 2 in Lahore if they go through. The final, scheduled to be held in Lahore on March 9, will also be shifted to the UAE if India qualifies.

What is the ICC Champions Trophy?

A mini-50-over World Cup, in essence.

While the World Cup is arguably overblown – the 2023 edition took more than six weeks to complete – the Champions Trophy is short and sharp, done and dusted in about two weeks.

Pakistan are the defending champions after defeating arch-rivals India in the final at the Kia Oval six years ago, while India and Australia have won the most titles with two each.

ICC Champions Trophy Schedule

Group A

• February 19: Pakistan vs New Zealand (Karachi)
• February 20: Bangladesh vs India (Dubai)
• February 23: Pakistan vs India (Dubai)
• February 24: Bangladesh v New Zealand (Rawalpindi)
• February 27: Pakistan vs Bangladesh (Rawalpindi)
• March 2: New Zealand v India (Dubai)

Group B

• February 21: Afghanistan v South Africa (Karachi)
• February 22: Australia v England (Lahore)
• February 25: Australia v South Africa (Rawalpindi)
• February 26: Afghanistan v England (Lahore)
• February 28: Afghanistan v Australia (Lahore)
• March 1: South Africa vs England (Karachi)

Semi-final

• March 4: Semi-Final 1, A1 v B2 (Dubai)
• March 5: Semi Final 2, A2 v B1 (Lahore)

Final

• March 9: Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs Winner of Semi-Final 2 (Lahore)

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