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Rohit Sharma could be heading to Pakistan for the grand opening ceremony for the Champions Trophy, where all the captains are likely to feature.
Rohit Sharma’s last game in Pakistan was back in the 2008 Asia Cup. (Image: AFP)
Despite India having agreed with the Pakistan Cricket Board to play their games in neutral territory for the Champions Trophy, the United Arab Emirates, reports have emerged that the Indian captain could make his way to Pakistan as part of the opening ceremony for the tournament that makes its return after an eight-year gap.
According to a report by IANS, the PCB is eyeing to conduct a grand opening ceremony, which is tentatively scheduled to be held on February 16 or 17, and all the team captains are to be present, as is the standard practice in all ICC events.
“Indian Team captain will visit Pakistan to attend the opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy as PCB plans a grand event, marking the return of a mega international cricket event to Pakistan after 29 years,” sources told IANS.
The Indian team last visited the next-door neighbours in 2008 for the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka. The last time the Men in Blue took on Pakistan on the latter’s home turf was in the same tournament during the Super Four Stage, where India suffered a defeat by 8 wickets.
The Champions Trophy 2025, set to begin on February 19, will be Pakistan’s first major ICC tournament as hosts since the nation co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
The tournament is set to begin on February 19 and will be held in a hybrid format. While most of the games will be held in India, all of the games that involve India will be held in the UAE, which includes the knockout games as well, should the Men in Blue secure qualification.
The first fixture will involve the hosts, Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi, and the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match is set to be held on February 23 at Dubai. India, on the other hand, will open their campaign with a game against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan comes into the tournament as the defending champions after their hammering win over their arch-rivals India in the 2017 edition, where they secured the win by a margin of 180 runs.
