Dubai has been confirmed as the neutral venue for India’s matches in the Champions Trophy 2025, with the UAE also hosting a semi-final and final if Rohit Sharma and his team reach the knockouts. The decision was finalized during a meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and UAE counterpart Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak in Sindh’s Ghotki region on Saturday night, according to a reliable PCB source.
Sheikh Nahyan, who is vacationing in Sindh, and Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister, settled logistical and administrative details for the event. This comes after the ICC announced on Thursday that India will play their matches at a neutral venue, resolving the impasse over hosting rights. Pakistan will receive reciprocal arrangements for tournaments held in India until 2027.
The Champions Trophy 2025, primarily hosted by Pakistan, is expected to feature 9 to 10 matches in the country. However, if India does not qualify for the final, it will take place in Lahore. The hybrid hosting model will also apply to next year’s Women’s Cricket World Cup in India and the T20 World Cup in 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
India’s decision to skip traveling to Pakistan stems from long-standing security concerns and requires government approval, which remains firm on its stance. The two countries have not engaged in bilateral cricket since 2012, and India last played in Pakistan before the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.