With only two days remaining, the hype surrounding the Champions Trophy is at its highest. The tournament will get underway at the National Stadium in Karachi, where hosts Pakistan will face New Zealand. The event holds great historical importance, as it is the first time Pakistan has hosted an ICC event since the 1996 World Cup, and it is a giant event for cricket in the nation.
However, the build-up to the tournament has been marred by controversy, most notably between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Because of security fears, India has decided to play all its matches in Dubai rather than travel to Pakistan.
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It has been reported that the PCB attempted to persuade the BCCI to play in Pakistan, but the Indian board did not budge from its position. The ICC finally approved a hybrid model under which India’s matches would be in Dubai while the remainder of the tournament is in Pakistan. Just when it appeared that everything had been resolved, a new controversy arose.
No Indian flag in Karachi: As only the Indian team faced security issues in Pakistan and refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, the PCB removed the Indian flag from the Karachi stadium while keeping the flags of the other guest playing nations. pic.twitter.com/rjM9LcWQXs
— Arsalan (@Arslan1245) February 16, 2025
A video making the rounds on social media indicates that all the participating teams’ flags are present at the National Stadium—save for India’s. This has caused an uproar among fans, with many wondering if the PCB is still bitter about India’s choice to play outside Pakistan. The lack of the Indian flag has rekindled tensions between the two boards, casting a shadow over the opening of the tournament.
On the pitch, the Champions Trophy has yielded a different tale than World Cups in the case of India vs. Pakistan. In five meetings thus far, Pakistan has a slim advantage, having won three games.
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Their initial win was in 2004, and their biggest win was in the 2017 final, when they shocked India to win their first-ever Champions Trophy title. As the tournament gets underway, fans look forward to the prospect of another high-profile India-Pakistan showdown on the big stage of cricket.
