For the Champions Trophy, India will not travel to Pakistan, it wants its matches to be played in Dubai

India has decided against traveling to Pakistan for next year’s Champions Trophy cricket tournament, citing security concerns. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) recently communicated its decision to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), expressing a preference to play all its matches in Dubai instead of the designated host cities in Pakistan.

“This has been our position, and there’s no reason to alter it now. We’ve officially written to them, requesting that our matches be shifted to Dubai,” a source familiar with the matter revealed.

The ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled from February 19 to March 9, is set to feature the top eight cricket teams, with Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi listed as the host cities. According to insiders, the BCCI’s decision aligns with consultations with the Indian government. A similar stance was seen last year when India successfully moved its Asia Cup matches from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, despite significant pressure from the hosts.

This announcement dampens recent hopes of improving cricket relations between the two nations. Last month, a rare diplomatic meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar took place during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Islamabad. This marked the first high-level conversation since 2015 and fueled speculation about the resumption of bilateral cricket ties.

The PCB, led by Chairman Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, had reportedly gone to great lengths to convince India to participate. Proposals included allowing the Indian team to return home after each match in Pakistan. However, these efforts appear to have fallen short, reigniting the longstanding tensions between the two cricket boards.

Although Pakistan has successfully hosted international teams like England and Bangladesh in recent years, India’s last visit to the country occurred during the 2008 Asia Cup. The debate over hosting rights and venue shifts will likely intensify as the tournament approaches.