BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has confirmed that Team India will sport the logo of Pakistan on their national jersey for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches.
Team India and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have decided to bow down to neighbours Pakistan and the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Indian cricket team will fully comply with the ICC’s dress code regulations during the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed on Wednesday. He dismissed speculation that the Board had objected to the host nation, Pakistan’s, name appearing on the team’s official jersey.
The Champions Trophy 2025 is set to commence on February 19, with India scheduled to play all their matches in Dubai after citing security concerns as the reason for not traveling to Pakistan.
“The BCCI will adhere to all ICC regulations regarding team uniforms during the Champions Trophy,” Saikia told PTI news agency. “We will follow the same protocols as other participating teams concerning logos and dress codes, in both letter and spirit,” he added.
15 Matches, 8 Teams, 1 Champion. It’s ALL ON THE LINE! 🏆
Action begins on 19 February ⏳#ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/SpVWtGfHNB
— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2025
Rohit Sharma’s travel to Pakistan still remains ‘uncertain’
However, Saikia mentioned that discussions are still ongoing regarding whether India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, will participate in ICC’s pre-tournament events, including the official photo shoot and press conference in Lahore.
“A final decision on Rohit Sharma’s travel to Pakistan for ICC media commitments is yet to be made,” he said.
Earlier, unverified media reports suggested that the BCCI had raised objections to the inclusion of Pakistan’s name on India’s jersey due to the strained political relations between the two countries. However, it is understood that the BCCI never questioned the ICC’s logo guidelines and has not lodged any concerns with the governing body.
Notably, when Pakistan traveled to India for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup, their team, led by Babar Azam, followed tournament protocols by sporting the host nation’s name on their jerseys.
This edition of the Champions Trophy will be held under a ‘Hybrid Model’ for the first time, as the Indian government did not grant permission for the team to travel to Pakistan. As a result, India will play all their fixtures, including the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan, in Dubai. Should India advance to the semi-finals and final, those matches will also take place in Dubai.
Regarding Rohit Sharma’s potential visit to Pakistan, the BCCI is carefully evaluating various considerations related to his participation in pre-tournament engagements. The ICC is yet to finalize whether these events will be held in Pakistan or relocated to the UAE to accommodate India’s concerns.
Shifting the pre-tournament engagements to the UAE would present significant logistical challenges for other teams, as most fixtures are set to be played in Pakistan. The Champions Trophy 2025 will kick off on February 19, with hosts Pakistan facing New Zealand in Karachi, while India will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20.
