 "Rohit Sharma won't be required to travel to Pakistan as there will no captains' event and photoshoot before the Champions Trophy 2025. Image: Reuters")
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma will not be needed to visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025-related events as it has been reported that no official photoshoot will take place before the competition starts and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) does not plan to have an opening ceremony.
While the opening ceremony for a Champions Trophy is uncommon and was not held before the 2017 edition in the UK as well, the photoshoot and captains event is a more regular feature. However, the PCB has confirmed to ESPNCricinfo that the captains’ event and photoshoot will not take place at this time due to logistical challenges.
No opening ceremony, photoshoot for Champions Trophy 2025
The report also added that no opening ceremony has ever been announced, however, an event to mark the start of Champions Trophy 2025 will be held on 16 February in Lahore. The Champions Trophy 2025 starts on 19 February.
The captain’s event and photoshoot have been cancelled as some of the teams are only reaching Pakistan on 19 February including the Australian cricket team.
It has to be noted that the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup also did not have a captains’ event as teams were playing warm-up matches in several countries. At that time, the ICC opted for a light projection show that projected pictures of all participating captains in the Rockefeller Center building in New York City.
Rohit Sharma not needed to travel to Pakistan
PCB not hosting a captains’ event or the photoshoot brings an end to speculation over whether Rohit will travel to Pakistan or not. Team India is not travelling to Pakistan due to security issues after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) denied them permission and their matches are being played in Dubai, UAE .
The newly-elected BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had earlier refused to confirm Rohit’s participation in any Champions Trophy 2025-related events in Pakistan. “Whether Rohit Sharma travels to Pakistan for ICC media engagements is something that’s still not decided,” Saikia said on 22 January.
It also allows India to safely get out of any administrative dilemma as the relations between the two countries have only worsened over the years. India and Pakistan do not play bilateral cricket against each other and only meet in ICC tournaments.
India last travelled to Pakistan for international cricket in 2008 and they have not played any bilateral cricket since 2012.
The India vs Pakistan match in Champions Trophy 2025 is on 23 February and will be played in Dubai.