ISLAMABAD: Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to visit Pakistan ahead of the highly-anticipated ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025—which Pakistan is hosting—to participate in pre-tournament events.
The development boosted the excitement level of cricket fans of both countries as it would be witnessed for the first time in many years to see an Indian cricketer travelling to Pakistan for an international event.
Reports suggest that Sharma may attend events related to the Champions Trophy, including all-captains’ photoshoot and press conference as part of the ICC’s promotional campaign.
However, there is no official word from the Indian cricket board regarding Sharma’s visit to Pakistan and it has yet to unveil the squad for the forthcoming tournament.
The eight-team tournament, which will consist of 15 matches, will start on February 19 and conclude on March 9. The matches will be held in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Dubai.
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The teams are split into two groups. Group A features Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B is comprised of Afghanistan, South Africa, England and Australia.
Hosts Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the curtain raiser on February 19 in Karachi. India will play its first match against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20. The blockbuster clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is set for February 23 in Dubai.
It is worth noting that the upcoming event will be held under a hybrid model, with India set to play their matches at a neutral venue, Dubai, rather than in the host country, Pakistan.
The announcement was made last month, ending a month-long standoff after India told the cricket governing body it would not send its team to Pakistan because of security fears and political tensions.
