BCCI to heed government's call on Champions Trophy 2025: Rajeev Shukla

India’s participation in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is "unlikely" due to security concerns, says MEA.

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Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President Rajeev Shukla has stated that the Indian cricket governing will strictly adhere to New Delhi's decision regarding the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

Speaking to the Indian media, Rajeev Shukla emphasised that India's stance on not travelling to Pakistan for the tournament remains unchanged, stating, “We will do whatever our government says.”

He further clarified that the BCCI is working closely with Narendra Modiled BJP government in New Delhi to resolve the ongoing issue.

This statement comes amid a continued deadlock between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the BCCI regarding the logistics of the tournament. The tension between the two boards is exacerbated by the security concerns raised by India about crossing the border to Pakistan.

The uncertainty surrounding the issue has caused delays in the ICC’s decision-making process, and the meeting scheduled for Friday to finalise the tournament’s logistics was postponed. The decision on India’s participation is expected to be a significant point of discussion once the meeting resumes.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) the Indian cricket team is "unlikely" to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to security concerns.

India last toured Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup, and the two teams have not played a bilateral series since the 2012-13 season in India. Since then, India and Pakistan have only faced each other in ICC and Asia Cup tournaments.

At a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal referred to a statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which cited security risks as the primary reason for India's likely absence from the tournament.

“The BCCI has issued a statement. They have said that there are security concerns there, and therefore, it is unlikely that the team will be going there,” Randhir Jaiswal said.

With the ICC scheduled to meet soon to finalise the tournament's logistics, the prospect of India playing its matches in a neutral venue such as the UAE remains a possibility. However, the PCB has made it clear that they prefer to host the entire tournament in Pakistan, maintaining their stance for equal treatment.

Pak stands firm, ICC to meet again

The suspense over the fate of the Champions Trophy 2025 continued as the International Cricket Council (ICC) board met briefly on Friday to discuss the issue, but postponed the meeting for a detailed debate for Saturday (today).

The ICC board held a brief virtual meeting on Friday, and it was decided that all the respective parties will continue to work towards a positive resolution to the ongoing impasse.

With the impasse continuing following India's refusal to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, the hybrid model seems to be the only feasible option, even though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has vehemently opposed the move.

Sources have confirmed that all 15 members of the board - 12 full members and three directors from the associate nations - attended the meeting, but no decision could be reached since the PCB refused to relent from its position.

Sources further told that both PCB and BCCI tabled their proposals regarding the hosting of the eight-team tournament. The meeting was concluded with the apex cricketing body instructing both parties to find a solution with "mutual consultation".

According to a section of the Pakistani media, the PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi is currently in Dubai to deliberate the issue with the concerned stakeholders.

Earlier, the PCB chief had sought a reasonable or acceptable proposal from the ICC and even signalled that a hybrid model could be considered 'only if the same is employed for other major tournaments to be hosted by India for the remaining tournament cycle' till 2031.