ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Indian Flag Missing At Pakistan's Gaddafi Stadium, Sparks Controversy

LAHORE: The Champions Trophy is all set to return after a gap of eight years, with Pakistan having won the last edition in 2017. Incidentally, the defending champions are the host nation, and they are ready to welcome seven other sides for the eight-team ICC tournament, which will begin on Wednesday.

Ahead of the event, the flags of seven teams, including that of Pakistan, were seen at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, but the Indian flag was missing.

During an event at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, fans noticed that the Indian tricolor was missing. At the same time, the flags of all seven participating teams of the Champions Trophy were hoisted.

Fans speculated that it was the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) response to the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision not to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy after they did not get clearance from their government.

Upon agreeing with the ICC after months of back-and-forth discussion between the two boards, which went to the extent of PCB threatening to withdraw from the tournament, India decided to play their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai as part of a hybrid model.

The ICC tournament is all set to kick off on February 19, with Pakistan taking on New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi.

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