No Champions Trophy 2025 opening ceremony - What’s going on?

The highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is likely to kick off without an opening ceremony, captains' press conference, or pre-tournament photo shoot, sources confirmed.

The decision follows the late arrival of the teams, particularly those from England and Australia, which has disrupted the original plans.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma will also be absent from Karachi for the press conference, further reducing the typical pre-tournament fanfare. While speculations in the Indian media had suggested an opening ceremony, it was never officially confirmed, and now it is clear that the event will not take place due to logistical challenges surrounding team arrivals.

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the arrival schedules provided by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia indicated that both teams will arrive in Lahore on February 18 and 19, respectively.

Other teams, including Bangladesh and India, are set to reach Dubai on February 15, with Afghanistan arriving in Islamabad on February 12. New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa will already be in Pakistan after participating in a tri-nation ODI series from February 8 to 14.

The first match of the tournament between Pakistan and New Zealand will take place in Karachi on February 19. The delay in arrivals, along with the need for teams to manage their players' workload, has led to the decision to forgo the opening ceremony.

"Player workload management is a key priority for all teams, and it is their prerogative to decide their arrival dates. The host nation’s responsibility begins only once the teams have arrived," said an ICC source on condition of anonymity.

Both England and Australia have also opted out of the customary warm-up matches due to the late arrival. Traditionally, each team is entitled to two warm-up games, but both teams will enter the tournament without any practice matches, similar to decisions made in previous ICC events.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had previously expressed interest in hosting an opening ceremony but clarified that it was never officially scheduled. "The opening ceremony was always a work in progress, and there were misunderstandings that led to the impression that it would be held," said PCB sources.

Despite the lack of an opening ceremony, the PCB remains committed to celebrating the hosting of the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time in 29 years. The board is planning a special event ahead of Pakistan's match against New Zealand to showcase the excitement of hosting such a prestigious tournament. Both Karachi and Lahore stadiums have undergone significant upgrades in preparation for the event.

The PCB added that while the idea of an opening ceremony had been discussed, it was never finalized as logistical arrangements had to be aligned with the teams' schedules.

The tournament will feature at least 10 matches in Pakistan, with Dubai hosting three, including India’s matches and the first semi-final. Should India fail to qualify for the final, the match will be held at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium; otherwise, the final will take place in Dubai.