ICC Champions Trophy 2025

The ICC Champions Trophy is an ODI cricket tournament held every four years. This 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is the ninth edition of the tournament. It was originally called the ICC KnockOut Trophy when it started in 1998. The tournament was renamed the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002. The ICC cancelled future editions after 2017, but announced its return in 2025. The Champions Trophy is part of the 2024–2031 ICC men's hosts cycle. Pakistan is hosting the tournament this year. The top eight ranked men's national teams from the 2023 Cricket World Cup are competing from February 19 to March 9, 2025. There will be 15 matches played across three venues in Pakistan and one in the UAE. Pakistan is the defending champion of the tournament. This is Pakistan's first global tournament since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team. The last major tournament hosted by Pakistan was the 1996 Cricket World Cup.

The tournament structure is the same as since 2006 with eight teams playing in two groups. Both groups' top two teams will proceed to the knockout stage. The India–Pakistan cricket rivalry has not been immune to political tensions. According to reports, India had refused to visit Pakistan citing security issues. In December 2024, a decision was reached to organise India's matches at a neutral venue -- the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in United Arab Emirates. The ICC is awarding $6.9 million in prize money for the 2025 Champions Trophy, up by 53% compared to the last edition. The champions will earn $2.24 million as the championship amount. Each team will get an additional $125,000 as the participation fee in the tournament. The runners-up will be paid $1.12 million. The two semi-finalists will each be paid $560,000, making a total of $1.12 million. Teams that end up 5th and 6th in the group stage will be paid $350,000 each. Teams that end up 7th and 8th will be paid $140,000 each. A total of $6.9 million will be paid to the teams.

The ICC launched a new visual identity for the tournament in November 2024. The tournament's trophy toured cities across the participating nations, excluding Pakistan-administered Kashmir due to objections from the BCCI. The official theme song, "Jeeto Baazi Khel Ke," was released on February 7, 2025. Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shane Watson, Shikhar Dhawan, and Tim Southee were named ambassadors for the tournament. The curtain raiser event took place at Lahore Fort in Pakistan on February 16, 2025. The opening ceremony was held at the National Stadium in Karachi on February 19, 2025, with aerobatic displays by the Pakistan Air Force.

Sri Lanka, a former champion, failed to qualify for the tournament for the first time. Afghanistan made its debut in the Champions Trophy in 2025. Karachi's National Stadium is hosting three matches with a capacity of 30,000. Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium is hosting five matches with a capacity of 34,000, including the semi-finals and final. Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host three matches with a capacity of 20,000. Dubai International Cricket Stadium is hosting five matches, including a semi-final and the final, with a capacity of 25,000. The match referees are David Boon (Australia), Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka), and Andrew Pycroft (Zimbabwe).

The group stage ran from 19 February to 2 March 2025, with the eight teams divided into two groups of four. Group A includes New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Group B includes South Africa, Australia, England, and Afghanistan. The semi-finals will be held on 4 and 5 March 2025, with the final scheduled for 9 March 2025.

BOOM had debunked misinformation around the Champions Trophy. In February 2025, BOOM fact checked a photo showing Afghan fans waving an Indian flag along with an Afghanistan flag in Lahore, Pakistan during ICC Champions Trophy match between England and Afghanistan. BOOM found out that the viral photo is from the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup match between Afghanistan and Australia in Mumbai, India.

In February 2024, BOOM fact-checked a video being shared claiming that a Ganesh aarti song was played after India’s victory over Pakistan during the Champions Trophy. BOOM found that the viral video was edited to include two different clips which are not related to ongoing tournament.

In February 2025, BOOM fact-checked a photo of an Afghanistan cricketer celebrating with the Indian national flag after the team's win against England in the ICC Champions Trophy. BOOM found that the viral photo was edited to make it look like an Afghanistan cricketer held an Indian flag after his team knocked England out of the tournament.

In February 2025, BOOM fact-checked a video of Babar Azam being heckled by spectators during the India-Pakistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. BOOM found that the incident took place during a T20 match between Pakistan and Australia on November 16, 2024.