CT 2025: New to Cricket? A Beginner’s Guide to Cricket’s Exciting Event

The marquee tournament is almost upon us. With fans eagerly waiting for the tournament to start, the teams are currently making their final stage of preparation with just over a month to go for the event.

Image Credits: championstrophy2025.com

Pakistan bagged the hosting rights for this event and had chosen three venues to host all the games from this event. However, there was a late twist with political tensions that arose due to the history of one of the terrorist groups in Pakistan attacking a Sri Lankan team bus in the year 2009 and many other factors!

All the matches involving India from groups to Final, will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. If India does not qualify for the semi-finals, both the semi-finals as well as the Final will be hosted in Pakistan.

The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy will follow a format similar to previous editions but with some adjustments. Here's an overview of the format:

The tournament will feature eight teams divided into two groups of four. Each team will play against the other teams in their group in a round-robin format implies each team will play three games in the group stage. Points will be awarded as follows:

Win: 2 points

Tie or No Result: 1 point each

Loss: 0 points

Group Stage: Each team plays three matches in their group. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-Finals: The winner of Group A will play against the runner-up of Group B, and vice versa. These matches determine who goes to the final.

Final: The winners of the semi-finals will compete in the final to decide the Champions Trophy winner.

Matches are played in the One Day International (ODI) format. If scores are tied in any knockout match (semi-final or final), a Super Over will decide the winner. In case of a tie in the group stage, the net run rate will be used to break ties.

This structure ensures a competitive and engaging tournament with a balance of group play and knockout stages, leading to an exciting conclusion. Hosts Pakistan are currently the defending champions beating India in the 2017 Champions Trophy Final in England.