Just days before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, cricket fans are caught up in controversy. A clip shot at Pakistan’s National Stadium in Karachi has gone viral, as the Indian flag’s absence from those of the competing nations on display is highlighted. This has come as a shock to many which is making for discussions and speculation online.
Some feel that this may have to do with India deciding to play all its Kinshasa Champions Trophy matches in Dubai and not in Pakistan. The tournament was slated to be held fully in Pakistan but after the BCCI declined to send the Indian team there over security concerns, Pakistan proposed hosting the first half of the tournament on its soil and the second half in other locations. Consequently, the ICC implemented a hybrid model that moved all of India’s games including a possible semi-final and final to Dubai.
Matches will take place at Karachi’s National Stadium featuring New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan and England. But given India’s non-participation in Pakistan, was the flag deliberately omitted by the PCB, or was it an innocent mistake?
The incident has renewed tensions between the two cricketing nations. Some fans view it as a counter to India’s decision while others say it may be an honest mistake.
With the Champions Trophy beginning on February 19, the drama adds another layer to an already spicy tournament.
