Or as social media puts it, "Neither is Pakistan in the final, nor is the final in Pakistan." The Indian men's cricket team played a key role in both, choosing to play their matches in Dubai instead of Pakistan and then knocking the hosts out of contention
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been anything but favorable for host nation Pakistan. Not only did they fail to reach the final, but the title clash won바카라™t even take place on their own turf, a nightmare scenario for any tournament organizer. Interestingly, both heartbreaks happened because of one nation, India. (More Cricket News)
The Indian men's cricket team played a key role in both, choosing to play their matches in Dubai instead of Pakistan and then knocking the hosts out of contention.
Now, with the final set in Dubai between India and New Zealand, Pakistan are left without a team in the decider or the privilege of hosting it.
Or as social media puts it, "Neither is Pakistan in the final, nor is the final in Pakistan."
The Champions Trophy hosting rights felt like a ticking time bomb for Pakistan, briefly overshadowed by the joy of hosting their first major international cricket tournament in three decades on February 19.
But the cracks showed soon enough.
A defeat to New Zealand set the tone, and a crushing loss to arch-rivals India sealed their fate. By the time their final group-stage match against Bangladesh was washed out, Pakistan바카라™s campaign had unraveled completely.
The home crowd didn바카라™t have much to celebrate, to be honest. It spoke volumes when the host nation had to travel to Dubai for their group match against India, a rare sight for a home team playing away. To make matters worse, Pakistan lost, with India comfortably sealing a six-wicket victory.
And as if that wasn바카라™t enough, the final blow came when India defeated Australia in the semi-final on Tuesday, ensuring their place in the title clash. That meant Sunday's final, originally scheduled for Lahore, was officially moving to Dubai, just as planned if India made it that far.
The tournament was initially awarded to Pakistan as full-fledged hosts, but India refused to travel due to political tensions. This led to months of back-and-forth discussions before a compromise was reached, Pakistan would host most matches, but India would play all their games in the UAE.
It바카라™s a tough situation for Pakistan바카라™s cricket fans, with many feeling their board had little choice in the matter given India바카라™s stance.
India played all their matches, including the semi-final against Australia, in Dubai, opting not to travel to neighboring Pakistan. Now, the final will also be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan had agreed to the hybrid model with the understanding that they too wouldn바카라™t be required to travel to India for future ICC events. But with other teams shuttling between Pakistan and the UAE while India remained in Dubai, the arrangement further highlighted India바카라™s strong influence in world cricket.