International Sports

ICC announces schedule for 2025 Men’s Champions Trophy

Published

3 months ago

December 24, 2024

(Last Updated On: )

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the fixtures for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, which will take place from 19 February to 9 March in Pakistan and UAE.

The 15-match, eight-team event returns to the cricket calendar for the first time since the last edition was staged in 2017, with defending champions Pakistan hosting their first global cricket tournament since 1996, alongside the UAE which was confirmed as the neutral venue.

The thrilling 19-day competition, in which every match counts in the bid to claim the iconic Champions Trophy white jackets, will see Bangladesh, India, New Zealand and Pakistan form Group A with Afghanistan, Australia, England and South Africa in Group B.

The stadiums in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi will host the matches in Pakistan, while Dubai will host the matches in the UAE. Ahead of tickets going on sale, fans are encouraged to register their interest for tickets here.

The Champions Trophy begins with hosts Pakistan facing New Zealand on 19 February – the opening day of the event – in Karachi. Other key match-ups include Bangladesh taking on India on the second day of the competition in Dubai and Afghanistan facing South Africa on 21 February in Karachi.

On 22 February, one of cricket’s most celebrated rivalries will pit Australia against England in Lahore, ahead of an unmissable Pakistan versus India contest on 23 February in Dubai.

The quickfire event showcases the very best about cricket in one big day out, with the first semi-final scheduled to be played on 4 March in Dubai and the second semi-final slated for 5 March in Lahore. Lahore will host the final on 9 March, however if India qualifies for the final it will be played in Dubai, where the victorious team will claim the famous white jackets. Both semi-finals and the final will have reserve days.

ICC Chair, Jay Shah said: “The ICC is delighted to release the schedule for the Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, marking the tournament’s much-anticipated return since 2017. The thrilling competition, in which eight teams battle it out to claim the iconic white jackets, will provide fans with 15 matches of unmissable entertainment.

“This edition will take place in Pakistan and the UAE, and with Dubai also serving as the home of the ICC headquarters, it represents an opportunity to showcase the best of cricket with heritage and modernity. This Champions Trophy is truly poised to be an unmissable celebration of the World Cricket’s finest.”

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi said: “We are pleased that an agreement has been reached based on the principles of equality and respect, showcasing the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that defines our sport.

“Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the ICC members who played a constructive role in helping us achieve a mutually beneficial solution. Their efforts have been invaluable in promoting the interests of international cricket.

“Hosting the Champions Trophy is a significant milestone for Pakistan, highlighting our commitment to promoting cricket at the highest level and showcasing our capabilities as a premier event organizer. We are dedicated to ensuring that this tournament will be a memorable experience for players, officials, and fans alike.

“Pakistan is elated to welcome the world to the Champions Trophy, and we look forward to extending our renowned hospitality to all.”

ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 schedule

19 Feb – Pakistan v New Zealand, National Stadium, Karachi

20 Feb – Bangladesh v India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

21 Feb – Afghanistan v South Africa, National Stadium, Karachi

22 Feb – Australia v England, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

23 Feb – Pakistan v India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

24 Feb – Bangladesh v New Zealand, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

25 Feb – Australia v South Africa, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

26 Feb – Afghanistan v England, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

27 Feb – Pakistan v Bangladesh, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

28 Feb – Afghanistan v Australia, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

1 Mar – South Africa v England, National Stadium, Karachi

2 Mar – New Zealand v India, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

4 Mar – Semi-final 1, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

5 Mar – Semi-final 2, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

9 Mar – Final – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

All matches start at 14h00 Pakistan Standard Time

Semi-final 1 will involve India if they qualify

Semi-final 2 will involve Pakistan if they qualify

If India qualify for the final it will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

About the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy

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 side 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.

Other past winners are South Africa (Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1998), New Zealand (Nairobi, Kenya, 2000), West Indies (The Oval, London, 2004) and Pakistan (The Oval, London, 2017).

Broadcast Rights in Afghanistan

Cricket fans across Afghanistan will be delighted to hear that Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN) has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy live, bringing all the action directly to viewers in Afghanistan.

This will be the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy and it will be hosted in Pakistan.

Related Topics:Afghanistan ArianaNews Cricket fans featured ICC MensChampionsTrophy

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International Sports

Marsh, Markram help Lucknow edge Mumbai in IPL

Published

3 days ago

April 5, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

Openers Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram hit half-centuries to set up a tense 12-run victory for Lucknow Super Giants against IPL heavyweights Mumbai Indians on Friday.

Five-time champions Mumbai suffered an early blow when former skipper Rohit Sharma missed the match due to an injury to his knee during training, AFP reported.

Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya claimed his maiden T20 five-wicket haul and then hit an unbeaten 28 off 16 balls but the effort went in vain as his team slipped to their third defeat in four matches.

Lucknow posted 203-8 as Marsh, who hit 60, and Markram, who made 53, put on 76 runs for the opening wicket after being invited to bat first at their home ground.

Bowlers combined to restrict Mumbai to 191-5 despite Suryakumar Yadav’s 43-ball 67 and Pandya’s late blitz as Lucknow bounced back from a loss for their second win in four matches.

Mumbai needed 29 off the last 12 balls when Shardul Thakur gave away just seven runs in the 19th over and fellow quick Avesh Khan kept his calm after being hit for a six on the first ball of the last over.

Mumbai’s impact substitute Tilak Varma made 25 off 23 balls before he retired out in the penultimate over.

Australia Marsh set up victory with an attacking 31-ball knock that set the tone for the hosts’ domination as he smashed nine fours and two sixes.

Marsh, who is playing in this IPL only as a batsman and registered his third half-century of this season, finally fell caught and bowled to rookie left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur.

West Indies left-hander Nicholas Pooran departed after his quick 12 as Pandya got his first and soon dismissed skipper Rishabh Pant for two.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, who broke an IPL auction record when he went to Lucknow for a whopping $3.21 million, has flopped with the bat with scores of 0, 15 and two in the earlier matches.

Markram stood firm and put together 51 runs with Ayush Badoni, who hit 30, to pull Lucknow through the middle phase before fellow South African David Miller joined the charge.

Pandya kept up his bowling form as he sent back Markram but the left-handed Miller hit 27 off 14 balls to boost the total.

Pandya took two successive wickets in the 20th over but a hat-trick was avoided after a wide ball and he finished with figures of 5-36 — a first five-wicket haul for an IPL captain.

Saturday’s Matches

Ariana Television will broadcast today’s matches live and exclusively in Afghanistan. Chennai Super Kings will face Delhi Capitals at 2:30pm while Panjab Kings will meet Rajasthan Royals at 6:30pm.

International Sports

IPL 2025: Sunday’s KKR vs LSG match pushed out to Tuesday

Sunday will now be a single-header match day, opposed to the usual double-header schedule.

Published

5 days ago

April 3, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BBCI) announced Wednesday that Match 19 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has been rescheduled and will be played on Tuesday, April 8 at 2:30 pm Kabul time.

The match was originally scheduled to take place this Sunday, April 6.

Sunday will now be a single-header match day, opposed to the usual double-header schedule. Sunrisers Hyderabad will play Gujarat Titans at 6 pm Kabul time as originally scheduled.

However, two matches will be played on Tuesday, April 8. First up will be KKR vs LSG, followed by the Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings.

Wednesday’s match

Wednesday, April 2, saw Punjab Kings cruise to an 8-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants after a dominant all-round performance.

A disciplined bowling effort restricted LSG to 171/7 at home before PBKS chased it down in style.

Player-of-the-Match Prabhsimran Singh (69 off 34), skipper Shreyas Iyer (52* off 30), and Nehal Wadhera (43* off 25) powered the visitors to a flawless finish, keeping them unbeaten in the league.

This convincing win propelled PBKS to second place in the points table, boosting their confidence for the games ahead.

Thursday’s match

Today, Thursday April 3, will see Kolkata Knight Riders take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The match will start at 6 pm Kabul time. Once again, Ariana Television will broadcast this thrilling event live across Afghanistan.

International Sports

Chennai grapple with IPL home truth after Bengaluru defeat

Published

1 week ago

March 29, 2025

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: )

An exasperated Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said their failure to read the pitch at Chepauk has denied them any home advantage in the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Five-time champion Chennai suffered their biggest defeat at home, in terms of runs, on Friday when Royal Challengers Bengaluru thumped them by 50 runs, Reuters reported.

“Well, as we’ve been telling you for a number of years, there was no home advantage at Chepauk,” Fleming said after Chennai’s first defeat of the new season.

“We haven’t been able to read the wickets here in the last couple of years,” he added. “So it’s not new. We are trying to come to grips each day with what we get, and we don’t know.”

Chennai’s spinners were not really effective, while Josh Hazlewood led Bengaluru’s superb pace display to set up their victory.

“It’s not the Chepauk (of old) where you can just go in and play four spinners,” former New Zealand captain Fleming said. “We’re having to work really hard to try and understand what the nature of each pitch is, and it’s quite different.”

Even the dew that Fleming had expected set in during the second innings did not materialise and Chennai fell well short of their target of 197.

“No, we didn’t get it right,” Fleming said. “It’s so hard to read, but we thought it was going to skid on with the dew, but it actually got a bit tacky. So, it certainly made it (batting) harder here.”

Saturday’s Match

Ariana Television will broadcast today’s match live and exclusively in Afghanistan. Fans can tune in from 6:15pm to watch Match 9, between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat.