Karachi likely to host Champions Trophy 2025 opening ceremony

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to hold the opening ceremony of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 here at the National Bank Stadium, sources told Geo News on Tuesday.

According to the details, the cricket board is planning a surprise for Karachi’s fans for the opening match of the eight-team tournament, scheduled to be played between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19.

The star-studded opening ceremony is likely to be held before the commencement of the curtain-raiser and may feature musical performances by local as well as foreign artists.

Notably, this will be the second ceremony regarding the mega event as the newly renovated Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is also set to host an opening ceremony on February 16.

The development came just hours after the inauguration of the venue following undergoing substantial uplift in a record 120 days.

The inauguration ceremony of the venue was graced by Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah and several renowned politicians, including Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab and Federal Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

The event was also attended by Pakistan’s squad for the ongoing tri-nation ODI series and the upcoming eight-team tournament.

The ceremony also featured exhilarating musical performances by renowned singers Shafqat Amanat Ali, Sahir Ali Bagga and Ali Zafar, while fans also enjoyed light show and dazzling fireworks.

For the unversed, the newly-renovated stadium will host two matches of the ongoing tri-nation ODI series, involving Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa, on February 12 and 14.

It will then host three much-awaited matches of the Champions Trophy 2025, including the curtain-raiser.