Will Rohit Sharma travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy opening ceremony? BCCI secretary provides big update

The opening ceremony of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 may be low-key, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is unlikely to send a team to Pakistan for the event. The ceremony will take place one or two days before the first match, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is working hard to ensure its success. 

Although there were rumors that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma will attend the event in Pakistan, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia clarified that they had not received an official invitation for his attendance.

“We haven’t got any such proposal. This hasn’t been part of our discussions with the ICC,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told The Telegraph in response to Rohit Sharma’s visit to Pakistan on Wednesday.

According to multiple reports, the entire opening ceremony could be moved to Dubai. However, an authority figure close to the situation believes that the possibilities of this happening are slim.

“This is a very delicate situation and every step has to be taken after judging its repercussions. India have to find a compromise formula to solve the crisis since Pakistan will enjoy certain benefits by virtue of being the hosts,” said the source, as quoted by the Telegraph.

The Champions Trophy was originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan, but after the BCCI opted not to send the team there, discussions between the BCCI and the PCB yielded a compromise. The tournament would follow a hybrid format, with India's matches taking place in Dubai. Furthermore, it was agreed that all meetings between India and Pakistan in ICC competitions will take place at neutral locations until 2027.

India and Pakistan will compete in the tournament's Group A, alongside New Zealand and Bangladesh. India's first match is set against Bangladesh on February 20, followed by a highly anticipated clash with with Pakistan on February 23. Their final group round match is against New Zealand on March 2.

Pakistan enters the tournament as defending champions, having defeated archrivals India by 180 runs in the 2017 edition.

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