Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif has stressed that Pakistan needs to defeat India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the renovated and upgraded Gaddafi stadium on Friday night, Shehbaz Sharif said the players must give their best against India. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has urged the national cricket team to aim for victory in the Champions Trophy and, most importantly, defeat India in their much-anticipated match on February 23 in Dubai.
The Indo-Pak rivalry will continue in Dubai on February 23, where the two teams will come across each other for the first time since the Men in Green won in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy at the Oval in London.
India Pakistan Rivalry a great legacy and recent ICC champions Trophy performances
Pakistan and India have a history of cricket rivalry and generally the Indian team has held the advantage in ICC events since the 90s. Pakistan’s last win in an ICC event against India came in 2021 when they won in Dubai in the T20 World Cup.
But with India refusing to send their team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and given the recent tense relations between the two cricket boards, the February 23-match has that extra edge to it. Pakistan will enter the tournament as defending champions. It was last held in 2017 in England with Pakistan winning the final.
India and Pakistan have faced each other in 135 ODIs. Out of these, India have won 57 while Pakistan have come out victorious on 73 occasions. As for the Champions Trophy, the rivals have met five times, with Pakistan winning three matches and India two. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that his team of capable of beating India again and has stressed his faith in the team to do so.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif initiates the war cry against India ahead of Champions Trophy clash on 23rd Feb 2025
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that the real task for his nation’s team in the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy is not just winning the title but also beating neighbors India.
Speaking at the inauguration of the newly renovated Gaddafi Stadium, Shehbaz Sharif expressed confidence in the team. He reminded them of their past wins against India, including the 2017 Champions Trophy final and the 2021 T20 World Cup match in Dubai. He also emphasized the importance of Pakistan hosting an ICC event after nearly three decades.
“We have a very good side and they have done well in recent times but the real task now is to not only win the Champions Trophy but also defeat our arch-rival, India in the upcoming match in Dubai. The entire nation stands behind them,” Sharif said while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the renovated Gaddafi stadium in Lahore.
This is the first time Pakistan is hosting a Champions Trophy — the first ICC event to be played here since 1996. However, the Board of Control for India (BCCI) refused its team to travel West citing security reasons.
After weeks of deliberation involving the International Cricket Council, the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided on a hybrid model where India’s matches will be played in the UAE.
“It is a big occasion for Pakistan that we are hosting a big ICC event after nearly 29 years,” Shehbaz Sharif added.
“I have full confidence that our team will continue to make the nation proud in the upcoming Champions Trophy.”
The stadium’s inauguration ceremony was attended by several prominent figures, including politicians, government officials, PCB representatives, the entire Champions Trophy squad of the national men’s team, Pakistan Super League franchise owners, and former PCB chairmen Zaka Ashraf and Najam Sethi.
The ceremony celebrated the completion of the renovation in just 117 days and the PCB launched the team’s jersey for the tournament. Pakistan will start their campaign here against New Zealand on February 19.
To prepare for the tournament, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has upgraded stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. The 35,000-capacity Gaddafi Stadium was renovated in under four months for the eight-nation event, starting on February 19. India is the only team that will not play in Pakistan and will have all its matches in Dubai, including the highly anticipated February 23 clash against Pakistan. If India makes it to the final on March 9, the final match will be held in Dubai.