The countdown for the highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has begun, with the deadline for submitting preliminary squads set for January 12.
Teams are advised to finalise their initial squads by midnight on February 11, as the official tournament period kicks off on February 12.
The prestigious Champions Trophy will commence on February 19 in Karachi, marking the beginning of a thrilling month-long cricketing spectacle.
The eight participating teams have the opportunity to make changes to their preliminary squads without ICC approval until February 11.
However, any modifications to the squads after this date will require the approval of the ICC Technical Committee. While teams are not obligated to publicly announce their preliminary squads, they must submit them directly to the ICC.
Notably, the England cricket team has already announced its final squad for the tournament, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting contest.
The eight-team tournament, featuring 15 matches, is scheduled to run from February 19 to March 9.
Matches will be held across three venues in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi – with Dubai also hosting several key fixtures. The official schedule was unveiled by the ICC on December 24, 2024.
The teams are divided into two groups. Group A consists of Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh, while Group B features Afghanistan, South Africa, England and Australia. Hosts Pakistan will open the tournament against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi.
The highly anticipated showdown between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is set for February 23 in Dubai.
Pakistan will host 10 matches, while Dubai will host four fixtures, including all three of India’s group-stage matches and the first semi-final.
