- The Indian team’s jersey will carry the official logo of the tournament: Saikia.
- BCCI follows the guidelines of the International Cricket Council.
- The ICC has made it clear that the official logo is a mandatory requirement for all teams.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday confirmed that Indian players will use the official logo featuring the name of the host nation, Pakistan, on their jerseys during the upcoming 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Newly appointed BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, in an exclusive interview with an Indian cricket news website, confirmed that the Indian team’s jersey will carry the official logo of the tournament, which includes the name of the host nation Pakistan.
He added that the BCCI will follow the International Cricket Council (ICC) guidelines regarding the Men’s Champions Trophy, specifically regarding the placement of the official logo.
“We will follow the ICC guidelines no matter what,” Saikia said.
He added: “We will follow the directives of the International Criminal Court.”
Earlier this week, Indian media reported that the BCCI had refused to wear jerseys bearing the name of the host nation, Pakistan, on the Indian team’s jersey for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy.
The media reports sparked a stern reaction from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which accused the BCCI of mixing politics with sports. The cricket board also expressed its hope that the apex cricket body would support the host nation.
“BCCI is bringing politics into cricket, which is not good for the game at all. They have refused to travel to Pakistan. They do not want to send their captain (to Pakistan) for the opening ceremony, and now there are reports that they do not want to print the name of the country Host (Pakistan) on their shirts.”
“We believe that the global governing body will not allow this to happen and will support Pakistan,” he added.
Later, sources within the ICC clarified that it is necessary for all participating teams to display the official logo of the tournament on their kits, which includes the name of the host country.
He added: “It is the responsibility of each team to add the tournament logo to their shirts. A source at the ICC stated that all teams are obligated to comply with this rule.
It is worth noting that the tournament, which includes eight teams and consists of 15 matches, will be held from February 19 to March 9, in three stadiums – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi – in Pakistan and Dubai.
Hosts Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the opening match on February 19 in Karachi, while the showdown between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is scheduled to take place on February 23 in Dubai.
As for the general public, Pakistan remains the only team among the eight participating countries that has not yet officially announced its squad for the upcoming tournament.