The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla on Saturday rubbished reports of the men's team not travelling to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.
The Indian government's external affairs ministry will review the situation and take a call on whether to send Rohit Sharma & Co to Pakistan or not.
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But an ANI report claimed that the Indian board will ask the International Cricket Council (ICC) to host the tournament in a hybrid model with the Men in Blue playing their matches either in Sri Lanka or Dubai.
No truth in media reports
Shukla however, said that no decision in this regard has been taken by the Indian cricket board or the government yet.
"We do not know which source gave such information. BCCI has not put out any official information regarding this," Shukla told The Print.
But Team India unlikely to get govt nod to play in Pak
The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be held in Pakistan between February and March 2025. Notably, Team India has not played cricket in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup due to the tense relationship between the two countries.
Looking at the current situation between the two countries, it is highly unlikely that the govt will give the nod for Team India to play in Pakistan. Sri Lanka will qualify for the tournament if India doesn't play.
The arch-rivals have only met in ICC tournaments and the Asia Cup since their last bilateral series in India in 2012-13.
“In the case of the Champions Trophy, we will do whatever the Government of India tells us to do. We will send our team only when the Government of India permits. So we will go according to the decision of the Indian government,” Shukla had earlier said.
India last won the Champions Trophy in 2013 under MS Dhoni's captaincy while Pakistan had lifted the title in 2017 after defeating the Men in Blue in the final.
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