ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to be played in T20 format?

DUBAI: An Indian broadcaster has reportedly asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to hold the Champions Trophy 2025 in Twenty20 (T20) format, citing “audiences’ demand for the shortest format”.

A British news daily, quoting sources, reported that Indian media conglomerate Disney Star – the television rights holders for global events in India – has reportedly intended for the eight-team competition to be in T20 format rather than one-day international (ODI)

Disney Star have bagged the broadcast rights for all ICC events in a four-year deal running from 2024 to 2027 for the Indian market.

Between 2024 and 2027, the ICC men’s calendar will have two T20 World Cups, two World Test Championship finals, a Champions Trophy and a 50-over World Cup.

With the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 coming to its closure in a few days and three teams having thus far booked their spots in the semi-finals, there is still much to fight for the sides, placed at the bottom.

As the top seven sides at the conclusion of the group stage of the ongoing World Cup, besides hosts Pakistan, will qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

However, the Disney Plus’ demand raised question marks on the qualification scenario of the Champions Trophy 2025 like how a 50-over World Cup can dictate qualification for an eight-team T20 event.

Watch: Pakistan to host 2025 Champions Trophy, announces ICC

Moreover, if ICC somehow adapts a different system for picking up eight teams, such as ranking points then it would create massive confusion for the teams, who are still fighting to dodge the bottom two in the ongoing World Cup.

Moreover, the move would also pose a major threat to the already downhill ODI cricket.

The conversion of  Champions Trophy 2025 into T20 format will result in oversaturation of the format as the T20 World Cups are scheduled for alternating years between 2024 and 2030, including the Twenty20 format for the 2028 Olympics.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan will host the Men’s Champions Trophy in 2025, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had announced.

It will be the first major global cricket tournament to be played in Pakistan since 1996 when it hosted the Men’s Cricket World Cup alongside India and Sri Lanka. The final was played in Lahore with Sri Lanka claiming the title.

The ICC Champions Trophy was also scheduled to be played in Pakistan in 2009 but it was moved to England due to security reasons.

The tournament was moved out of Pakistan after three countries — Australia, England and New Zealand — had refused to tour the country over security fears months after an attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.