The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been anything but favorable for host nation Pakistan. Not only did they fail to reach the final, but the title clash won’t even take place on their own turf, a nightmare scenario for any tournament organizer. Interestingly, both heartbreaks happened because of one nation, India.
The Indian men’s cricket team played a key role in both, choosing to play their matches in Dubai instead of Pakistan and then knocking the hosts out of contention.
Now, with the final set in Dubai between India and New Zealand, Pakistan are left without a team in the decider or the privilege of hosting it.
Or as social media puts it, “Neither is Pakistan in the final, nor is the final in Pakistan.”
The Champions Trophy hosting rights felt like a ticking time bomb for Pakistan, briefly overshadowed by the joy of hosting their first major international cricket tournament in three decades on February 19.
But the cracks showed soon enough.
A defeat to New Zealand set the tone, and a crushing loss to arch-rivals India sealed their fate. By the time their final group-stage match against Bangladesh was washed out, Pakistan’s campaign had unraveled completely.
The home crowd didn’t have much to celebrate, to be honest. It spoke volumes when the host nation had to travel to Dubai for their group match against India, a rare sight for a home team playing away. To make matters worse, Pakistan lost, with India comfortably sealing a six-wicket victory.
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