1. Tournament Schedule & Hosting
When will the Champions Trophy 2025 start?
The Champions Trophy 2025 will begin on February 19 in Karachi, where host team Pakistan will face New Zealand.
Click the link below to see the full schedule.
https://howzdat.live/icc-mens-champions-trophy-2025-complete-schedule-fixtures-and-key-matches/
Is Pakistan the host of Champions Trophy 2025?
Yes. India refused to travel to Pakistan, so a hybrid model was adopted. It was decided that India would play all its matches in Dubai, while matches in Pakistan will be held in Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore.
Preparations for Karachi and Gaddafi Stadium are in full swing. Their readiness will be tested during the tri-series in Pakistan, featuring Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Click the link below to see the Pakistan Tri-Nation Series 2025 fixtures.
https://howzdat.live/pakistan-tri-nation-odi-series-2025-schedule-and-fixtures/
Where will the opening ceremony take place?
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will hold an official ceremony on February 16 to formally announce the start of the tournament. However, due to logistical reasons, the traditional pre-tournament activities, such as the captains’ press conference and a group photo with the trophy, will not take place.
2. India & Pakistan Situation
Why is India not going to Pakistan when other teams are?
Due to political issues, India’s match officials and team will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. This decision has sparked debate, as Pakistan had previously played in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. However, India refused to play in Pakistan for this event.
Before the Champions Trophy, discussions took place between the cricket boards of Pakistan, India, and the ICC. It was agreed that, just like India will play at a neutral venue in 2025, Pakistan will also not travel to India for any matches until 2027. Instead, Pakistan’s matches scheduled in India will also be held at a neutral venue.
Will India play against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025?
Yes, Pakistan and India are in the same group, and they will face each other on February 23 in Dubai. India has a 15-1 overall lead in world cups, but in the Champions Trophy, Pakistan has a 3-2 advantage.
3. Tournament History & Qualification
Why has there been a long gap since the last Champions Trophy?
From 1998 to 2009, the Champions Trophy was held every two years. Later, it was changed to a four-year cycle to align with other major ICC tournaments. India was originally supposed to host the 2021 edition of the Champions Trophy. However, the tournament was replaced with the T20 World Cup instead.
When was the last time Pakistan hosted an ICC tournament?
Pakistan was originally set to host the 2008 Champions Trophy, but due to security concerns, the tournament was postponed to 2009 and eventually moved to South Africa. This was a major setback for Pakistan, as it lost the opportunity to host a major ICC event.
It is important to note that the last time Pakistan hosted an ICC event was in 1996 when it co-hosted the ODI World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka.
How were the teams selected for the Champions Trophy?
The Champions Trophy 2025 will feature eight teams: Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, India, Bangladesh, and England. These teams are divided into two groups.
Group A includes Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
Group B consists of South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan, and England.
Each team will play against the others in their group, and the top teams will advance to the next stage.
4. Match Rules & Format
What is the format of the Champions Trophy?
The Champions Trophy 2025 will be played in the ODI format, featuring eight teams divided into two groups. Each team will play three group-stage matches, and the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, the Group A topper (A1) will face the second team from Group B (B2), while the second team from Group A (A2) will compete against the Group B topper (B1).
A special condition applies to India: regardless of its group position, India’s semi-final will be played in Dubai on March 4.
The final is scheduled for March 9 in Lahore, but if India reaches the final, it will be shifted to Dubai instead.
What happens if a match ends in a tie?
During the tournament, if a match ends in a tie, the winner will be decided through a Super Over. In a Super Over, each team gets one over (six balls) to score as many runs as possible. The team with the higher score wins the match.
If the Super Over also ends in a tie, then another Super Over will be played. This process will continue until a clear winner is decided.
Will there be a reserve day for knockout matches?
For the semi-finals and final, a reserve day has been allocated. If the match cannot be completed on the scheduled day due to rain or any other reason, it will continue on the reserve day from the same point where it was stopped.
This means that if some overs were played before the interruption, the match will resume from that exact point on the next day, rather than starting over.
What happens if rain washes out a match?
If the final match cannot be completed due to rain or any other reason, and a result is not possible even on the reserve day, then both finalist teams will share the trophy.
In the semi-finals, if the match remains incomplete or ends without a result, the team that had a better position in the group stage will qualify for the final.
Has there ever been a Champions Trophy with joint winners?
In the 2002 Champions Trophy final, India and Sri Lanka had to share the trophy because the match could not be completed. At that time, a reserve day was available. The match started again on the next day, but due to rain, only 10 overs of the second innings could be played. Since a full match was not possible, the trophy was awarded to both teams.
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