The ICC Champions Trophy 2025, hosted by Pakistan, officially kick-started today. Earlier, however, there had been a controversy surrounding a scene at Karachi Stadium, and the Indian national flag was missing to start with. This had triggered scathing condemnation of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and had demanded corrective measures. Recently, videos had been shared on social media with the Indian flag prominently displayed in the stadium, which seemed to bury the controversy.
Controversy Over Missing Indian Flag
National flags were first unfurled at Karachi Stadium, and India's flag was not there, which angered people on social media. The majority of people criticized Pakistan's reaction to the incident and questioned why the flag of India was not displayed if other countries involved had flags.
In response, PCB sources clarified:
- India is not playing matches in Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
- Only in the stadiums where the teams would play matches were flags hoisted, for instance, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Lahore.
- India's matches, including Bangladesh, are all conducted in Dubai, and hence India and Bangladesh's flags were not used initially.
Resolution and Flag Display
Even with PCB's clarification, the criticism did not end. To put the issue to rest, the Indian flag was eventually raised at Karachi Stadium, as seen in a recently emerged video. Now, all eight teams' participating country flags are visible, so the issue is put to rest.
India’s Hybrid Model Participation
As a result of India's refusal to play in Pakistan, the tournament was shifted as a hybrid model, and India's games would be in Dubai. If India reaches the semi-final or the final, these would also be in Dubai.
India vs Pakistan (IND vs PAK) would be on the 23rd of February in Dubai, a match all cricket lovers around the world are eagerly waiting for.
