Pakistan is hosting its first international cricket series in over three decades. On Thursday, Pakistan's cricket team lost to New Zealand in the first match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The series will continue till March 9, while matches will be played in Pakistan and the UAE. This is the first time Pakistan has hosted a major ICC tournament since 1996. Though international cricket returned to Pakistan in 2015 after a hiatus of six years, major teams did not tour Pakistan until recently. 

The tournament will feature eight teams split into two groups: 

Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Bangladesh 

Group B: Australia, England, South Africa, Afghanistan

The tournament kicked off with Pakistan versus New Zealand on February 19 at Karachi’s National Stadium. The bout everyone is waiting for – Pakistan v India – will take place on February 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The semi-finals are scheduled for March 4 (Dubai) and March 5 (Lahore), while the final is set for March 9 in Lahore. However, if India reaches the final, it will be moved to Dubai.

The Hindu nationalist Indian government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to send its players to Pakistan, citing unresolved diplomatic differences. The two neighbouring countries have fought multiple wars over Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan territory. 

Pakistan’s squad includes Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi, among others, while India will be led by Rohit Sharma, with Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill.

Australia and India are the two most successful sides in the ICC Champions Trophy since its inception in 1998, when it was known as the ICC KnockOut Trophy. Both the sides have won the event twice, with Australia being the only team to win back-to-back titles – in 2006 in Mumbai, India, and in 2009 in Centurion, South Africa. India shared the title with hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2002 before winning again in Birmingham, England, in 2014.

The fans

Avid cricket fan Mustafa Hasan hopes to witness a clash in Karachi. 

“It’s an exciting time to witness the return of international cricket to Pakistan. And through this, we look forward to welcoming people from all cricketing nations to enjoy the many wonders our country has to offer,” he said. 

Yawar Saeed, a resident of Lahore who works in Dubai, says he has tickets for the Pakistan-India match. 

“India versus Pakistan is the pinnacle of cricket. It’s the highest-viewed sporting event in the world of cricket for a good reason – the energy is electric, and the atmosphere is unreal. May the best team win... but let's be honest, wouldn't it be more fun if Pakistan lifts the trophy?” he said. 

Tabish Ashfaque, a father of two, took his son to the Pakistan v New Zealand match on Thursday. He told TRT World that the last time he was inside a stadium to watch a match was almost 20 years ago. "It was a breathtaking experience." 

“Especially the weather post-sundown, and the floodlights came into full effect which amplified the thrill. A great job done by the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) in trying to make Karachi Stadium fit for international standards,” he said.

However, he said there were a few issues the fans faced. 

“I wish there was a practical solution presented by the organisers to take bottled water to our seats in such hot weather. We need to keep our kids hydrated all the time. Allowing us to take only a paper cup does not make much sense."

Ahmer Naqvi, a cricket expert who frequently writes for ESPN, said hosting the Champions Trophy is a huge moment for Pakistani cricket for multiple reasons.

“I think most significantly, it marks the definitive end of a long period of exile and ostracism that Pakistan faced in the aftermath of the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team," he said, referring to the killing of six policemen and a driver when gunmen ambushed a bus carrying members of the visiting team in Lahore.

Naqvi says it's a great deal for the country to move from a point where no international cricket was taking place to becoming the host of an international tournament after so many years. 

“This really speaks to firstly, you know, just the fact that cricket has persevered in Pakistan for so long and secondly that not only has it persevered but things have remained consistent enough, steady enough that it is being able to host this prestigious tournament,” he says, adding that this was a remarkable story for Pakistani cricket. It speaks to both the staying power and almost inevitability of cricket as a dominant cultural force in Pakistan, he says.

Naqvi is looking forward to the Pakistan-India match. 

“It is a shame that it is not happening in Pakistan. It’s a shame that the cricket administration is so beholden to just one country that we are willing to jump through these absurd hoops in order to placate BCCI."

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the world's richest and most influential cricket governing body. 

“Despite the bad taste it has left in the mouth of a fan, Pakistan-India is still the biggest draw in cricket, one of the biggest draws in the sport. So it's really hard to look beyond that as the most anticipated match. Outside of that, I think the most anticipated match is every match that Australia loses,” he adds.

The legends

Former team captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, who led Pakistan to glory at the most recent ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in 2017, cannot wait to see Karachi given its moment in the spotlight. “Karachi is my city,” he says. “It is the City of Lights and I hope many people will come and see it, it’s a fabulous place.

“We have lots of history and especially in cricket, so many great players, a great stadium," he adds.

Former Pakistan captain and batting legend Inzamam-ul-Haq told Reutersthat there is no escaping the excitement in the lead-up to the event. “Right now, everyone is talking about the Champions Trophy – in schools, houses, markets, offices, everywhere,” he said.

Former Pakistan bowler Tauseef Ahmed says this tournament is a good thing for the country. “International cricket is returning to Pakistan after almost 29 years,” Ahmed tells TRT World. Ahmed, who played a big role in Pakistan's famous 16-run victory over India at Bangalore in 1986-87, says there were a lot of hurdles to cross in order to get here.

“It was not an easy task,” says Ahmed, who played his first match against Australia in 1979. “All credit goes to Pakistan Cricket Board. We were successful."

Ahmed was a part of the selection committee for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy that Pakistan ended up winning. 

“I am excited. Being a player, I am extra excited about all matches. The teams playing are all balanced – India, New Zealand and South Africa. Afghanistan has improved a lot,” he says, adding that he is disappointed that India won’t be playing in Pakistan. “They are missing out on our pitches.”

The stadium

The National Stadium in Karachi has a capacity of 32,000. 

The first-ever match played here was in 1955 – Pakistan v India. In 2022, the stadium was renamed the National Bank Cricket Arena after the PCB signed a five-year naming-rights deal with the National Bank of Pakistan, a government-owned commercial bank. 

The stadium has been on a 99-year lease from the federal government since 1980. In preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy, renovations were made to the stadium. These include new LED floodlights, guardrails, a new pavilion containing 24 hospitality boxes, and increased capacity. 

New foldable chairs were added to some of the stands. The total cost of these renovations is estimated to be around Rs3.5 billion.

The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which holds 35,000 people, sees its first action on February 22 when Australia take on England. It will also host the second semi-final and a possible final on March 9, according to an ICC press release.

In Rawalpindi – a city that has produced players such as Shoaib Akhtar, famously known as the Rawalpindi Express – the match will take place in the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. It has a capacity of 20,000.

The schedule

February 19: Pakistan v New Zealand (Karachi, Pakistan) 

February 20: Bangladesh v India (Dubai, UAE) 

February 21: Afghanistan v South Africa (Karachi) 

February 22: Australia v England (Lahore, Pakistan) 

February 23: Pakistan v India (Dubai) 

February 24: Bangladesh v New Zealand (Rawalpindi, Pakistan) 

February 25: Australia v South Africa (Rawalpindi) 

February 26: Afghanistan v England (Lahore) 

February 27: Pakistan v Bangladesh (Rawalpindi) 

February 28: Afghanistan v Australia (Lahore) 

March 1: South Africa v England (Karachi) 

March 2: New Zealand v India (Dubai) 

March 4: Semi-final 1 (Dubai) 

March 5: Semi-final 2 (Lahore) 

March 9: Final (Lahore/Dubai)