LAHORE: Pakistan will be hosting this year's ICC Champions Trophy. However, due to the Indian government's decision not to send the Indian cricket team to Pakistan, all of India's matches will be held in Dubai. If India qualifies for the knockout stage, the semi-finals and the final will also be moved to Dubai. Initially, the opening ceremony and the captains' photoshoot were planned to be held in Pakistan. However, recent reports indicate that both of these events have been cancelled.

This confirms that Indian captain Rohit Sharma will not be travelling to Pakistan for the opening ceremony or the photo shoot. The stadiums designated as venues for the Champions Trophy—Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—are still undergoing renovations, which are yet to be completed. Meanwhile, international media reports suggest that the decision to cancel the opening events was influenced by the delayed arrival of teams like England and Australia to Pakistan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stated that Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will be handed over to the ICC by February 11. However, today was initially set as the final deadline for completing the stadium handovers, making PCB's last-minute moves notable.

Additionally, the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, which is set to host the opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand, is also yet to be fully ready. PCB claims that only final touch-up work remains in Lahore, while all three stadiums are undergoing round-the-clock renovations in different shifts.