The eagerly anticipated Champions Trophy 2025 is finally here! The ICC tournament will officially kick off on Wednesday, February 19, with defending champions and co-hosts Pakistan facing New Zealand in a thrilling opening match in Karachi.

India, led by Rohit Sharma, will begin their campaign on Thursday, February 20, against Bangladesh. The event, which is the second most important after the ICC Cricket World Cup, will go on until March 9. It's a special day for Pakistan, as this is the first international cricket competition for the nation in close to 30 years.

Where are the matches happening?

Though Pakistan will be hosting the majority of the tournament, India's games will be held in the UAE because of political tensions between the two countries. The International Cricket Council (ICC) intervened in December to end the tension, declaring that India would play their games in Dubai.

Groupings and schedule: Who plays whom?

The tournament is split into two groups:

Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Bangladesh

Group B: England, Australia, Afghanistan, South Africa

Here is the complete schedule:

19 February: Pakistan vs New Zealand – Karachi

20 February: India vs Bangladesh – Dubai

21 February: South Africa vs Afghanistan – Karachi

22 February: England vs Australia – Lahore

23 February: India vs Pakistan – Dubai

24 February: New Zealand vs Bangladesh – Rawalpindi

25 February: South Africa vs Australia – Rawalpindi

26 February: England vs Afghanistan – Lahore

27 February: Bangladesh vs Pakistan – Rawalpindi

28 February: Afghanistan v Australia – Lahore

1   March: South Africa v England – Karachi

2   March: New Zealand v India – Dubai

4   March: Semi-final 1 – Dubai

5   March: Semi-final 2 – Lahore

9   March: Final – Lahore (if India qualify, it will be played in Dubai)

10 March: Reserve day

Where and when to watch the matches?

All games will be day-night affairs, beginning at 2:30 PM IST. The toss is at 2:00 PM IST.

TV Channel: Watch all the live action on the Star Sports Network.

Live Streaming: The matches will be streamed live on JioHotstar.

With so much anticipation ahead, cricket fans worldwide are waiting with bated breath for the tournament to kick off. Will Pakistan repeat their title, or will India step up in this hotly awaited battle between cricket giants? Watch this space as the Champions Trophy 2025 will be an absolute thrill ride!

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