Rohit Sharma Downplays Significance of Pakistan-India Clash in ICC Champions Trophy

ISLAMABAD: Indian captain Rohit Sharma has minimized the importance of the highly anticipated Pakistan-India encounter in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. Speaking to reporters, Rohit stated that while discussions about Pakistan-India matches have been ongoing for the past two to three years, the team is not giving special focus to the February 23 fixture.

“We have talked a lot about Pakistan-India matches over the last few years, but we are not going to make any special mention about this match. We just have to play well,” Rohit said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir emphasized that India’s primary goal is to win the Champions Trophy, rather than focusing solely on a single match.

“We are not entering the tournament with the mindset that February 23 is the most important match. All five matches are crucial, and our mission is to win the Champions Trophy,” Gambhir said during an awards ceremony hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Read more: PCB announces ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will begin on February 19, with Pakistan facing New Zealand in Karachi. The highly awaited clash between Pakistan and India is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.

Key Fixtures:

• February 19: Pakistan vs New Zealand (Karachi)
• February 20: Bangladesh vs India (Dubai)
• February 22: Australia vs England (Lahore)
• February 23: Pakistan vs India (Dubai)
• March 4 & 5: Semi-finals (Dubai, Lahore)
• March 9: Final (Lahore, unless India qualifies, in which case it will be played in Dubai)