On February 20, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team will play their first match of the next ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against Bangladesh, their neighbours. Additionally, this tournament is the first ICC event to be held in Pakistan since the ODI World Cup in 1996. However, the Men in Blue will play all of their games in Dubai rather than crossing the border because of security concerns.
The tournament's hybrid approach has caused friction between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). According to an IANS report, tensions recently increased when a PCB official stated that India does not want the name of the host nation, Pakistan, on their shirts, violating a long-standing ICC rule. Concerning India's reluctance to play in Pakistan and the choice to send captain Rohit Sharma for the opening ceremony, the PCB official charged that the BCCI was politicising cricket.