The highly anticipated 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is set to kick off on February 19, with the blockbuster India vs Pakistan clash scheduled for February 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The tournament will follow a hybrid model, with matches being held in both Pakistan and the UAE.
Tickets for the marquee India vs Pakistan showdown were snapped up within minutes of going on sale on Monday. The overwhelming demand saw over 1,50,000 fans queuing online, leading to wait times exceeding an hour.?
Cricket enthusiasts were left stunned as tickets across almost all categories—including the Dh2,000 (approx. ?47,434) Platinum and Dh5,000 (approx. ?1.8 lakh) Grand Lounge sections—were completely sold out. With only 25,000 seats available at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the mad rush for tickets highlighted the massive popularity of the clash.?
The tournament will feature the top eight teams playing 15 matches over 19 days. Group A will see Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and New Zealand clash, while Group B includes Afghanistan, England, Australia, and South Africa.?
Defending champions Pakistan will begin their campaign against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. This will mark the first global cricket tournament hosted by Pakistan since the 1996 Men's ODI World Cup. Meanwhile, India and Australia remain the most successful teams in Champions Trophy history, with two titles each.??
The India vs Pakistan fixture is the stated to be the most important fixture, with experts predicting a surge in travel, tourism, and hospitality. Dubai is expected to see a rise in hotel bookings and airfare prices as fans from both nations flock to witness the high-stakes encounter.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.?
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.?
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