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After months of wait and speculation, the deadlock has finally been broken with the International Cricket Council on Tuesday announcing the fixtures of ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The eight-team tournament will feature 15 50-over matches and will be played across Pakistan and in Dubai. The biggest match of the tournament between two arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be played on February 23 in Dubai. Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi will be the three venues in Pakistan which will host the tournament. Each Pakistan venue will feature three group games with Lahore hosting the second semi-final. Lahore will also host the final on March 9, unless India qualifies, in which case it will be played in Dubai. Both the semi-finals and the final will have reserve days. The three group matches involving India, as well as the first semi-final, will be played in Dubai. Pakistan take on New Zealand in the Group A tournament opener in Karachi on February 19. The Dubai leg begins the following day with India taking on Bangladesh. Group B begins on February 21, with Afghanistan squaring up against the Proteas in Karachi. A big weekend then kicks off with rivals England and Australia set to clash in Lahore on Saturday ( February 22), with the much-anticipated Pakistan-India clash set for the day later. The eight sides in the Champions Trophy competing for the famous white winners' trophy and jackets are the teams that finished in the top eight positions on the points table of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. Group A of the tournament features current Champions Trophy holders and hosts Pakistan, along with India, New Zealand and Bangladesh, while Group B features Cricket World Cup 2023 champions Australia, alongside Afghanistan, England and South Africa. Champions Trophy Groups: Group A - Pakistan, India, New Zealand, BangladeshGroup B - South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan, England Champions Trophy Schedule: February 19: Pakistan v New Zealand, Karachi, PakistanFebruary 20: Bangladesh v India, DubaiFebruary 21: Afghanistan v South Africa, Karachi, PakistanFebruary 22: Australia v England, Lahore, PakistanFebruary 23: Pakistan v India, DubaiFebruary 24: Bangladesh v New Zealand, Rawalpindi, PakistanFebruary 25: Australia v South Africa, Rawalpindi, PakistanFebruary 26: Afghanistan v England, Lahore, PakistanFebruary 27: Pakistan v Bangladesh, Rawalpindi, PakistanFebruary 28: Afghanistan v Australia, Lahore, PakistanMarch 1: South Africa v England, Karachi, PakistanMarch 2: New Zealand v India, DubaiMarch 4: Semi-final 1, DubaiMarch 5: Semi-final 2, Lahore, PakistanMarch 9: Final, Lahore (unless India qualifies, when it will be played in Dubai)March 10: Reserve Day. (ANI)
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