New Delhi: On Tuesday December 24 International Cricket Council unveiled its comprehensive timetable for the Champions Trophy. Besides the listings of all the matches for the partaking teams the outline also highlighted the locations set for these games. Pakistan in a partnership with the United Arab Emirates will be hosting the tournament. The decision hinged on the Pakistan Cricket Boards acquiescence to a mixed arrangement that would pave the way for Indias involvement in the event. The cricket world is buzzing with excitement as India and Pakistan go head to head in a much-awaited game on February 23 in Dubai. Should India romp into the championship final Dubai will play host to the titanic clash again. The cricketing authorities ICC heralded the start of the tournament on February 19 with a thrilling Pakistan and New Zealand contest in Karachi. The sporting extravaganza will wrap up on March 9 with the semi-finals and the grand finale having reserve days as additional fixtures. Every game is scheduled to kick off precisely at 2:30 PM as per Indian Standard Time and in India Star Sports is your go-to channel for the live broadcast of each match. In a groundbreaking decision for the 2025 Champions Trophy the ICC has decided to adopt a hybrid format hosting matches in both Pakistan and the UAE. The agreement arose from a mutual understanding that stemmed from dialogues between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India. As per the schedule Pakistan will be the venue for 10 matches. Meanwhile Dubai gets the chance to host three of Indias league-stage matches inclusive of the much-anticipated competition against Pakistan. To add to this one semi-final and the final match are planned to take place in Dubai. However if India doesnt manage to reach the final then the championship match will be shifted to Lahore. This agreement effectively handles matters related to logistics and geopolitics making the planning for these major tournaments smooth and well-received by everyone involved. ICC Champions Trophy 2025 groups Group A: Bangladesh India New Zealand and Pakistan Group B: Afghanistan Australia England and South Africa ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 schedule 19 Feb – Pakistan v New Zealand National Stadium Karachi 20 Feb – Bangladesh v India Dubai International Cricket Stadium Dubai 21 Feb – Afghanistan v South Africa National Stadium Karachi 22 Feb – Australia v England Gaddafi Stadium Lahore 23 Feb – Pakistan v India Dubai International Cricket Stadium Dubai 24 Feb - Bangladesh v New Zealand Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi 25 Feb – Australia v South Africa Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi 26 Feb – Afghanistan v England Gaddafi Stadium Lahore 27 Feb – Pakistan v Bangladesh Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi 28 Feb – Afghanistan v Australia Gaddafi Stadium Lahore 1 Mar – South Africa v England National Stadium Karachi 2 Mar – New Zealand v India Dubai International Cricket Stadium Dubai 4 Mar – Semi-final 1 Dubai International Cricket Stadium Dubai* 5 Mar – Semi-final 2 Gaddafi Stadium Lahore All matches start at 2:30 PM Indian Standard Time Semi-final 1 will involve India if they qualify Semi-final 2 will involve Pakistan if they qualify If India qualify for the final it will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium Dubai. The last time the Champions Trophy rolled around was in 2017 and it witnessed a spirited display by Mohammed Amir that played a pivotal role in Pakistans win over India that had Virat Kohli at the helm. In their innings Pakistan racked up a whopping 338 runs largely due to a staggering hundred by Fakhar Zaman. Later Mohammed Amir took center stage outplaying the Indian batsmen and restricting them to a paltry 158 ensuring a memorable victory for Pakistan. Pakistan joins the competition riding high on waves of positivity. After grappling with internal team chaos theyve found fresh leadership in the form of Mohammed Rizwan. Under his guidance theyve toasted success in two foreign series in Australia and South Africa in the single-day matches.