Pakistan to host opening ceremony on Feb 16 but no captains' photoshoot

New Delhi: The uncertainty regarding Rohit Sharma’s trip to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy has been resolved. The India captain will not be required to travel to Pakistan, as the ICC and PCB have opted to cancel the opening ceremony and captains’ photoshoot for the tournament.

No need for Rohit Sharma to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy:

The joint decision by the ICC and PCB removes the requirement for the Indian captain to travel to Pakistan, effectively addressing a sensitive matter due to India’s current position on bilateral cricket with Pakistan.

“An opening ceremony was never announced either by the ICC or the PCB,” a source was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. The source further stated that “PCB did not comment but did not deny that there won’t be an opening ceremony or captains’ photo-shoot.”