PCB's Decision to Omit Indian Flag from Gaddafi Stadium in Response to BCCI's Champions Trophy Refusal

The Champions Trophy is making a comeback after an eight-year hiatus, with Pakistan emerging as the winners of the last edition in 2017. The host nation is also the defending champions, and they are gearing up to welcome seven other teams for the upcoming ICC tournament, which kicks off on Wednesday. Leading up to the event, the flags of seven participating teams were proudly displayed at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, although the Indian flag was notably absent.

During an event at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, fans noticed that the India tri-colour was missing at the venue, while the flags of the all the rest of the seven participating teams of the Champions Trophy were present. The video of it instantly went viral on social media.

Fans speculated that it was Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) response to Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to not set the Indian team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy after they did not get clearance for their government. Upon agreeing with the ICC after months of back and forth between the two boards, which went to the extent of PCB threatening to withdraw from the tournament, India decided to play their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai as part of a hybrid model. This implies that the venue for knockout stage matches and the final will only be confirmed if India make the distance.

Champions Trophy to begin on February 19

The ICC tournament is all set to kick off on Wednesday, with the host nation taking on New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi. India will open their campaign on Thursday against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium, before the proceedings head to the weekend for the mouthwatering clash between the two arch-rivals.

The aforementioned four team form Group A of Champions Trophy 2025. Group A comprises Australia, South Africa, England and Afghanistan. Group A campaign will begin on Friday with Rashid Khan-led side taking on South Africa in Karachi.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Score and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }