Uncertainty remains over whether India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, will travel to Pakistan for the ICC’s official captains' call ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Traditionally held in the host country, the captains' event is tentatively scheduled for February 16 or 17 in Karachi.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet received any official communication from the ICC regarding the event.
"It [Rohit traveling to Pakistan] has not yet been discussed. It is not on the agenda yet," said Devjit Saikia, the recently appointed BCCI secretary, in a statement to ESPNcricinfo.
It remains unclear whether the BCCI would require permission from the Indian government for Rohit to travel to Pakistan.
Given the ongoing political tensions between the two nations, India and Pakistan have not engaged in a bilateral cricket series since 2012, limiting their encounters to ICC tournaments.
While Pakistan has traveled to India for ICC events during this period, India has not played international cricket in Pakistan since 2008.
In light of the BCCI’s stance that India would not play matches in Pakistan, the ICC, in coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has introduced a 'fusion formula' for ICC events through 2027.
Under this arrangement, Dubai has been designated as the host venue for India’s matches during the Champions Trophy.
Though there is no recent instance of an Indian player visiting Pakistan in an official capacity, BCCI officials have done so.
In 2023, BCCI president Roger Binny and vice-president Rajiv Shukla attended an official PCB dinner in Lahore during the Asia Cup, following an invitation from then-PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf.
The PCB has reportedly requested the ICC to ensure that all teams and captains participate in the Champions Trophy’s official photo-shoot, opening ceremony and other pre-tournament activities, in line with standard practices.
However, the ICC is still finalizing the logistics and travel arrangements for the teams.
Interestingly, the ICC opted not to organize a captains’ event ahead of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, which was co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA.
Instead, the official launch featured a lighting projection show at the Rockefeller Center in New York City, showcasing all 20 captains.
Like the 2024 T20 World Cup, teams participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy will have the option to play up to two warm-up matches, depending on their arrival schedules.
It is pertinent to mention that the eight-team tournament, comprised of 15 matches, will run from February 19 to March 9, across three venues – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi – in Pakistan and Dubai.
Hosts Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser on February 19 in Karachi, while the blockbuster clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.
India's squad for Champions Trophy 2025:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja
India's Champions Trophy Schedule:
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