The ICC has revised the tournament schedule and the Indian team will play the group stage, the first semi-final and the final (if required) in the UAE.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said the 2025 Champions Trophy match will now be played in Pakistan and Dubai after hosts Pakistan chose the UAE as the neutral venue for rivals India.

The change of venue comes after weeks of bickering between the two sides after India refused to travel to Pakistan to watch the match.

Pakistan, the tournament’s reigning champions, must now travel to Dubai to play India on February 23 if the two sides are to meet again in the final on March 9.

“Lahore will also host the final on March 9, which will be held in Dubai unless India advances. There are reserved dates for both the semi-finals and the final,” the ICC said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The three group matches involving India and the first semi-final will be played in Dubai.”

The eight-team tournament will kick off on February 19 in Karachi and will feature a total of 15 matches in Pakistan and Dubai.

The tournament will be held in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. Each venue in the country will host three group matches, with Lahore also hosting the second semi-final.

Pakistan will face New Zealand in their Group A opener in Karachi on February 19, while India takes on Bangladesh a day later in Dubai.

India has not toured Pakistan since 2008 due to political tensions, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refusing to field a team for the Champions Trophy, citing government advice.

The ICC said last week that matches between India and Pakistan in the tournament between 2024 and 2027 will be played at neutral venues.

This Champions Trophy match will be the first time Pakistan has hosted the ICC since sharing the World Cup with India and Sri Lanka in 1996.