India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s reply to a fan asking why is India not coming to Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has gone viral on social media.
This comes after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that ICC has conveyed to them that BCCI has revealed that the Indian team will not come to Pakistan as they failed to get permission from the Indian government on the basis of security reasons.
Pakistan is set to host the 8-team ICC Champions Trophy tournament from Feb 9-March 19 in three venues- Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. They had consistently built pressure on ICC and BCCI to ensure that India traveled to Pakistan for the event, even offering to host all India’s matches in Lahore, near the Amritsar border.
The BCCI has requested ICC to host India’s matches at the alternate venue with UAE leading the race. However, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that Pakistan is not ready to accept any hybrid model and the tournament will entirely be played in Pakistan.
Not only this, but PCB also threatened to withdraw from the Champions Trophy and told ICC that they would also stop playing India in all ICC and ACC events in the future if India doesn’t come to Pakistan.
Notably, Pakistan had hoped for a reciprocal gesture from India, after it visited India for the 2023 World Cup. However, with the relations strained between the two nations, the Indian government is not willing to risk the safety of Team India players.
‘Pakistan Kyu Nhi Aa Rhe’- Suryakumar Yadav gives epic reply to a fan
Fans are perplexed by India’s unwillingness to participate in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, therefore there is no way to end the story. Many Pakistan fans have been disappointed amid reports over India’s refusal to tour Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Suryakumar Yadav was even questioned by a fan over India’s hesitation to visit Pakistan. The widely shared incident happened during India’s current four-match Twenty20 International series in South Africa.
As Suryakumar Yadav posed for pictures with supporters, one of them questioned him about India’s refusal to go to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. In response, Suryakumar said the players had no control over the decision.
“Mujhe ek baat bata saktein hai ke Pakistan kyu nahi aa rahe aap (Tell me why are you not coming to Pakistan)?”, the fan asked Suryakumar Yadav.
In response Suryakumar Yadav stated that the decision is not in the hands of the cricketers: “Arrey bhaiya, hamare hath mein thodi hai (Brother, it is not in our hands).”
https://twitter.com/nikun28/status/1855983232715538675
The PCB has been promised by the ICC that they will receive the majority of the matches and all hosting costs under the current agreement.
“The ICC has told the PCB that if it decides to go ahead with the hosting of the mega event on a Hybrid Model it would get its full hosting fees and majority of the matches,” the PTI report stated.
The ICC may, however, think about transferring the entire tournament to South Africa if the PCB decides not to host it because of India’s rejection, according to sources.
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