 "Champions Trophy 2025 opening ceremony took place at the Lahore Fort on Sunday. Images: PCB on X")
The first ICC tournament in Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup, Champions Trophy 2025 , kicked off on Sunday with a low-key opening ceremony at the Lahore Fort. The ceremony was attended by members of the last Champions Trophy 2017-winning Pakistan team.
Present at the Lahore Fort ceremony were then captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Azhar Ali, Junaid Khan, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Hafeez and Haris Sohail.
Champions Trophy 2025 starts with modest opening ceremony
The ceremony was also attended by former New Zealand bowler Tim Southee, ambassador of ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and retired South African all-rounder JP Duminy.
The opening ceremony included performances from top Pakistani music artists and fireworks as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi delivered the opening speech. “I assure every cricket fan and supporter that Pakistan is ready for the Champions Trophy. As we speak four teams have already arrived in Karachi while England and Australia will land in the next 48 hours.
“Hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been a long effort requiring tireless dedication and sacrifices. To ensure a world class experience we started the upgradation of Gaddafi and National Stadium. Thanks to the efforts of the workers, both venues have been transformed into state-of-the-art facilities in record time.”
Former Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed reflected on the 2017 Champions Trophy win in England where they defeated India in the final. “I hope the team can defend the title on home soil,” Ahmed said during a panel discussion with Southee and Duminy.
“Those were unforgettable moments for us after lifting the trophy.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWhat took the sheen off the Champions Trophy 2025 was the absence of captains from the eight participating teams. While the tournament doesn’t have a history of grand opening ceremonies, a captains’ event and photoshoot is a common tradition and was also held before the 2017 edition.
However, the Champions Trophy 2025 opening ceremony on Sunday did not have a photoshoot and captains event as some of the teams are yet to reach Pakistan for the tournament. As a result, India captain Rohit Sharma also did not have to travel to Pakistan for the ceremony.
Champions Trophy 2025 promises 15 exciting matches
It has to be noted that a second opening ceremony is also scheduled for 19 February, when the first match of the tournament will take place.
Besides India, the remaining sevens teams are going to be based out of Pakistan. The Men in Blu will be playing their matches in Dubai.
Pakistan will face New Zealand at Karachi’s National Bank Cricket Stadium on 19 February in the first match of the Champions Trophy 2025.
The final will be played on 9 March and the tournament will consist of 15 matches over 19 days.