Days after a viral video showed the absence of India’s flag at a Champions Trophy venue in Pakistan, the tricolor was finally displayed in Karachi before the tournament’s opening match.
February 19, 2025: The Indian national flag has been spotted at the National Stadium in Karachi on the eve of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener, days after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sparked a controversy by allegedly omitting it from a display at Gaddafi Stadium. A viral video had previously shown flags of all participating nations except India, leading to speculation that PCB deliberately avoided displaying the Indian flag in retaliation for India’s decision to play all their matches in Dubai.
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The controversy arose amid long-standing tensions between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and PCB over the tournament’s hosting. With the Indian government denying clearance for Team India to travel to Pakistan, the ICC implemented a hybrid model, moving all of India’s matches to Dubai. This decision had led to PCB’s protests, but the tournament arrangement remained unchanged.
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On Tuesday, however, the Indian flag was finally placed at Karachi’s National Stadium, which will host the opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19.
PCB’s Response to Flag Controversy
After the video went viral, PCB officials defended their actions, stating that flag placement decisions were dictated by the ICC.
“The ICC has advised that only four flags will be hoisted on Champions Trophy 2025 match days – ICC (Event Authority), PCB (Event Host), and the two competing teams of the day,” a PCB spokesperson told Hindustan Times.
BCCI’s Reaction
BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, when asked about the controversy, asserted that all participating nations’ flags should have been displayed from the start.
“If the Indian flag was missing, it should have been placed. All participating nations’ flags deserve to be displayed,” Shukla told Livemint during an event in Delhi.
With the tournament set to begin, the focus now shifts to the on-field action, where India will play their first match against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai, followed by the much-anticipated clash against Pakistan on February 23.
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India flag controversy, ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India vs Pakistan, PCB controversy, BCCI vs PCB, cricket politics, India in Dubai, National Stadium Karachi, Indian cricket news