Reacting to media reports regarding Men in Blue captain Rohit Sharma’s longest-serving visit to Pakistan ahead of the 2025 Men’s Champions Cricket Trophy, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) newly-elected Secretary Devajit Saikia clarified that the board has not received any such proposal.
Indian media reported earlier this month that the captain of their men’s national team, Sharma, was likely to cross the border to participate in pre-tournament events.
Events will include a photo session for all the captains and a press conference where the captains will share their predictions for the tournament.
For the Champions Trophy, all eight participating captains are scheduled to participate in the event organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
However, as per the latest development, Saikia revealed that the BCCI has not received any such proposal and also that it was not part of the board’s discussions with the apex cricket body.
“We do not have any such proposal. This was not part of our discussions with the ICC,” Saikia told an Indian newspaper.
“This is a very sensitive situation and every step must be taken after judging its ramifications. India has to find a settlement formula to resolve the crisis because Pakistan will enjoy certain advantages by virtue of being the host country.”
The eight-team tournament will be held from February 19 to March 9, in three Pakistani venues – Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi – and Dubai.
The tournament consists of 15 matches, where the participating teams are divided into two groups.
Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh
Group B: Afghanistan, South Africa, England and Australia
Hosts Pakistan will face New Zealand in the opening match on February 19 in Karachi.
India’s first match against Bangladesh is scheduled to be played on February 20 in Dubai, while the much-anticipated clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is scheduled to be held on February 23 in Dubai as well.
India Champions Trophy Schedule:
February 20, Bangladesh vs India, Dubai
February 23, Pakistan vs India, Dubai
March 2, New Zealand vs India, Dubai