The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suggested March 1 as the date for the crucial ICC Champions Trophy encounter between Pakistan and India in Lahore in a revised schedule presented to the International Cricket Council (ICC), as well as the boards of the seven other participating nations and the official broadcaster, as per a knowledgeable source familiar with the discussions. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and New Zealand comprise Group A, while Australia, England, South Africa, and Afghanistan form Group B. Each team will face the other three teams in its group once, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. The ICC Champions Trophy is set to take place in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, with seven matches in Lahore, five in Rawalpindi, and three in Karachi. Starting on February 19 in Karachi, the tournament will culminate with the final in Lahore on March 9, with a reserve day on March 10 in the event of unfavorable weather conditions. According to the current plan, Karachi and Rawalpindi will host one semifinal each. However, should India progress to the semifinals, their match will be relocated to Lahore. The host city intends to host the Indian team for the entire tournament, citing security concerns and its proximity to India. India's government has historically prohibited the national cricket team from traveling to Pakistan due to ongoing political tensions. The Indian Cricket Board's decision regarding participation in the ICC Champions Trophy is contingent on government guidance. Although India refrained from traveling to Pakistan for the previous year's Asia Cup, Pakistan visited India for the 50-over World Cup in late 2023. This has raised hopes for India's potential attendance at the 2025 Champions Trophy. Intermittent political strains have disrupted bilateral cricket exchanges, limiting matches between the two nations to ICC or Asian Cricket Council tournaments. All countries except India have shown support for Pakistan hosting the 2025 Champions Trophy, enunciating the positive experiences of teams who have previously competed in Pakistan. In the lead-up to the tournament, multiple ICC delegations have visited Pakistan, expressing satisfaction with the preparations for the first ICC event in the nation since the 1996 World Cup. The ICC Champions Trophy reinstatement marks the tournament's comeback to international cricket following its discontinuation post the 2017 edition, which saw Pakistan's triumphant victory over India in the final.