Champions Trophy 2025 schedule: Will broadcasters demand T20 format again?

While uncertainty around the format of Champions Trophy, media reports suggest that 15-match event will follow a hybrid model-10 games in Pakistan & 5 potentially hosted in the UAE or Sri Lanka

With the announcement of the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule still awaited, the competition, which is scheduled to be played in the ODI format, might be played in the T20 format given that there are less than 74 days left for the start. Star Sports, the official broadcaster for ICC events in India, revealed the commercial for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is schedule from Februrary 19 to March 9.

 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) might face mounting pressure, with its failure to meet contractual obligations raising alarm among key stakeholders. The ticking clock of missed timelines, now well beyond the critical 90-day mark, has broadcasters grappling to effectively promote the much-anticipated Champions Trophy 2025, according to a Cricbuzz report.

 

As the stalemate between ICC, BCCI and PCB drags on, whispers of a potential format shake-up are growing louder. Stakeholders, frustrated by the delay, may reignite calls for a seismic shift: transforming the tournament from its traditional One-Day International (ODI) format into the more marketable and electrifying T20 format. 

 

With ODIs increasingly struggling for relevance in the shadow of T20’s booming popularity, the prospect of a quicker, more audience-friendly competition might prove too tempting for decision-makers to ignore. The coming weeks could determine whether the Champions Trophy embraces its traditional roots or takes a bold leap into cricket’s shortest and most dynamic frontier. 

ICC broadcasters in different regions
Licensee (Broadcasters)	Territory	Linear Channels
Amazon	Australia	N/A
TSM	Bangladesh	Nagorik TV
ESPN Caribbean	Caribbean Islands	ESPN Caribbean, ESPN2 Caribbean, ESPN Extra
Disney Star	India+(linear feed goes into Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives)	SS1(HD+SD), SS2(HD+SD), Select2(HD+SD), SS1 Hindi (HD+SD), SS3, SS First, SS1 Tamil (HD+SD), SS1 Telugu (SD+ HD), Maa Gold, SS1 Kannada, Suvarana Plus SD
E&	MENA	CricLife Max, CricLife Max 2
NOS	Netherlands	NOS
Sky TV NZ	New Zealand	Sky Sport 1,Sky Sport 2, Sky Sport 3, Sky Sport 4
PTV	Pakistan	PTV Sports, PTV Home, PTV National
Ten Sports	Pakistan	Ten Sports
ICC	ROW	N/A
StarHub	Singapore	Hub Sports 4, Hub Sports 5
Maharaja TV	Sri Lanka	TV1, Sirasa TV, Shakti TV
SuperSport	Sub-Saharan Africa	SS Cricket, SS Grandstand, SS Cricket Africa, SS Action Africa, CSN
Sky Sports	UK & Northern Ireland	Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action
Willow	USA & Canada	Willow TV(USA & Canada), Willow Xtra(USA only)

 

So, why ICC is not announcing the 2025 Champions Trophy schedule?

 

ICC, PCB, and BCCI locked in a stalemate 

The announcement of Champions Trophy 2025 continues to hover in uncertainty, leaving the cricketing world baffled. ICC, PCB and BCCI remain at odds, unable to find common ground. Time is ticking rapidly for an event that should already be in its final stages of preparation.

 

What to expect in near future about Champions Trophy 2025 schedule?

 

A meeting was planned on December 7 but it concluded without any final decision. The situation is compounded by the indefinite postponement of the ICC Board meeting originally scheduled for December 7. 

 

What are the reasons for the delay in CT 2025 schedule announcement?

 

Hybrid model confirmed, but future concerns loom

 

While initial uncertainty surrounded the format of the Champions Trophy, media reports suggest that the 15-match event will follow a hybrid model—10 games in Pakistan and five potentially hosted in the UAE or Sri Lanka. 

 

But the impasse stems not from this event but future ICC tournaments. Pakistan insists that the same hybrid format be applied when India hosts global events in the next three years—a demand the BCCI firmly opposes.

 

Here's why Pakistan's future ICC events demand could not be backed by broadcasters?

 

Adding to the complexity, broadcasters might align with the BCCI, citing territorial revenue considerations. India’s matches, the biggest revenue generators in world cricket, yield higher returns when hosted domestically. Broadcasters argue that their financial commitments hinge on this revenue model, making Pakistan’s demands untenable for them as well.

 

PCB’s dilemma and failed compromise attempts

 

For the PCB, the predicament is twofold. It cannot easily retreat from its no-hybrid stance without securing compensations that satisfy its stakeholders. Efforts to negotiate a compromise, including a proposed tri-series involving India and another nation, have fallen flat, with both the ICC and BCCI rejecting the idea.  Champions Trophy 2025 teams list 

1. Pakistan (Host)
2. India
3. Australia
4. England
5. New Zealand
6. South Africa
7. Afghanistan
8. Bangladesh