ICC may shift Champions Trophy Final from Lahore to Dubai if India qualifies: Report
The International Cricket Council (ICC) may move the 2025 Champions Trophy final from Lahore to Dubai if India qualifies, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is hesitant to send the team to Pakistan due to ongoing political tensions. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has secured the hosting rights for the tournament, but the BCCI reportedly prefers a hybrid model for the event.
According to a report in the Telegraph UK, the uncertainty over the final venue will persist until days before the summit clash, should India reach the final. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, however, remains confident that the BCCI will eventually agree to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to run from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
"The Indian team should come. I don't see them canceling or postponing their participation, and we are confident we will host all the teams in the Champions Trophy," Naqvi stated.
The PCB has earmarked Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi as the primary venues for the tournament and has submitted a draft schedule to the ICC. Naqvi added that the stadiums would be in optimal condition to host the matches in February and March.
The report highlights a similar precedent set last year when the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) adopted a hybrid model for the Asia Cup, allowing India to play its matches in Sri Lanka instead of Pakistan due to political considerations.
In response to queries about the Indian team’s participation, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla stated that the Indian government will take the final call on whether the team will travel to Pakistan. "For international tours, we always seek the permission of the government. It’s up to the government to decide whether our team should go to any country," Shukla remarked.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
AAP to contest Delhi Assembly elections alone: AAP national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar announced on Wednesday that the party will contest the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections independently. In an interaction with ANI, Kakkar stated, "We will contest the Delhi Assembly elections alone. On one side, it's the overconfident Congress, and on the other, the arrogant Bharatiya Janata Party. We will remain humble and let the work we’ve done over the past decade speak for itself."
The Delhi Assembly elections are expected to be held in early 2025. In the 2020 elections, AAP secured 62 out of the 70 seats, while the BJP won 8 seats.
Previously, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal emphasized the importance of hard work and cautioned against overconfidence, drawing lessons from the recent Haryana election results. Speaking to AAP municipal councillors in Delhi on Tuesday, Kejriwal stated, "Elections are approaching and must not be taken lightly. The biggest lesson from today’s election is to never be overconfident."
Kejriwal also urged AAP’s municipal councillors to focus on ensuring basic public services, especially cleanliness, in their respective areas, highlighting their key role in the upcoming elections.
#WATCH | Delhi | AAP's National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar says, "We will contest Delhi (assembly) elections alone. On one side it's the overconfident Congress and on the other side, it's the arrogant BJP. We will contest the election based on what we have done in Delhi in the… pic.twitter.com/p3vXcox1ZO
— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2024
