Pakistan are the official hosts of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. They earned the hosting rights as they are the defending champions of the tournament. The Men in Green defeated India in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy edition to win the title under former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.
The Champions Trophy is just a month away and so far six out of the eight participating teams have named their provisional squads for the tournament. India and Pakistan are the only two teams who have not named their squads.
Meanwhile, the ICC in a recent video, has shared a teaser of the winner's jacket. The jacket is won by the champion team on the day of the final when they are awarded the trophy. Former Pakistan captain, Wasim Akram can be heard speaking about the heritage of the tournament in the video.
"What is the measure of a champion? A pursuit of greatness, a fire that burns bright, diligent and relentless, no time for respite. To inspire generations, past and present, all for a place in history, all for a legacy one of a kind. When the stakes are high, and the path seems too steep to climb, when there's no room for error, no excuses to hide behind—they persevere, they fight, they thrive. Deliver. Time after time after time." narrated Akram.
"In the game of champions, when they go up against the best, playing for the jacket with victory's golden crest—champions rise, champions shine. Because when reputation, history, and victory are on the line, champions put it all on the line," he concluded.
Some top-class players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler, Glenn Maxwell, Babar Azam will be representing their teams in the tournament. There are also talks about Rohit Sharma travelling to Pakistan for the opening ceremony of the tournament as well.
Dubai To Host India-Pakistan Clash
The much-awaited India-Pakistan match will be played in Dubai on February 23, Sunday. India and Pakistan will play each other at neutral venues in ICC tournaments. This was decided after the Indian government was not keen on allowing their players to travel to Pakistan for the event. India will be playing the tournament in the hybrid model.
“The coat represents a champion’s relentless pursuit of excellence and serves as a badge of honour worn by those who achieve cricketing greatness,” added Wasim Akram.
