Pakistan will be hosting the Champions Trophy 2025 and is also the defending champion of this ICC event.

The ninth edition of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will be jointly hosted by Pakistan and United Arab Emirates from 19^th February to 9^th March 2025.

In Short

• Pakistan are the current defending champions of the ICC Champions Trophy.
• The marquee India vs Pakistan match is set to take place on February 23 in Dubai.
• Due to Pakistan security concerns, India has refused to play in Pakistan and will have its matches in UAE Champions Trophy venues.
• If India qualifies for Semis and Finals, the games will continue to be played in the UAE

Schedule and format of ICC Champions Trophy

 ICC Champions Trophy schedule

ICC Champions Trophy Groups

• Group A: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand
• Group B: Afghanistan, Australia, England, South Africa

Also Read: Latest News on Champions Trophy | Stadium Readiness & Venue Uncertainty

ICC Champions Trophy format

The Champions Trophy 2025 will be played in a 50-over-per-side One Day International (ODI) format, featuring the top 8 teams based on ICC rankings.

Each team will play three group-stage matches, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-finals.

ICC Champions Trophy Squads Announced – Teamwise

*When this report was being written, the host nation Pakistan had not submitted their squad list

Afghanistan Cricket Team

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Ali Khil (WK), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, AM Ghazanfar, Naveed Zadran, Noor Ahmad

Australia Cricket Team

Alex Carey (WK), Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Short, Steven Smith, Aaron Hardie, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (C), Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Bangladesh Cricket Team

Nazmul Hossain Shanto (C), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossai Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana

England Cricket Team

Jos Buttler (C), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood

India Cricket Team

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami

New Zealand Cricket Team

Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young

South Africa Cricket Team

Temba Bavuma (C), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen

History of Champions Trophy

The tournament was earlier called ICC Knockout Trophy in the inaugural 1998 tournament held in Dhaka, Bangladesh and in 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was renamed the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002

The tournament format involves a qualification phase according to the team’s performance from the preceding three years.

The Current tournament will be played by the top 8 teams in the ODI format.

Up to 2006, the Champions Trophy was held every two years. The tournament had to be shifted from Pakistan in 2008 and moved to South Africa in 2009 due to security reasons.

Post the 2009 edition, the tournament is held every 4 years similar to the ODI Cricket World Cup.

Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy Tournament held in England and Wales

The Tournament came to a halt in 2021 but was reinstated in 2025.

So, in effect, Pakistan is the defending champions.

Winners of the ICC Champions Trophy

Australia and India are the two most successful teams winning the tournament twice, while South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Pakistan have won it once each.

Summary

Many Cricket Pandits have questioned the the relevance of the Champions Trophy, as only the top 7-8 teams participate in the tournament.  Moreover, it is in the 50-over format which is slowly losing its audience.

Moreover, with ODI cricket losing popularity, Broadcasters wish to make the next  Champions Trophy to a T20 format, which is the most popular of the three formats in cricket. This will help the tournament to avoid having only 8 teams increasing both viewership and global participation.