The Indian cricket team won the Champions Trophy 2025 by defeating the New Zealand cricket team in the final match of the tournament which was played at Dubai International Stadium on 9 March. Though the tournament was hosted by Pakistan, India played all its matches in Dubai. However, the awards presentation ceremony of the Champions Trophy final in Dubai took an unexpected turn when no representative from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was present. This unusual scenario did not go unnoticed with former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar who described the absence as “strange”.
Pakistan was the official host of the ICC tournament but due to ongoing diplomatic tensions, India opted to play all their matches in Dubai under the Hybrid Model. As a result, the Indian team, including semi-final and final appearances, remained in the UAE throughout the competition. The presentation party featured ICC Chairman Jay Shah, BCCI President Roger Binny, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia and New Zealand Cricket Director Roger Twose.
However, reports indicated that it is customary for a representative from the host nation to be a part of such ceremonies, making PCB’s absence even more conspicuous.
In the video, Shoaib Akhtar said, “Hindustan has won the Champions Trophy. I observed a strange thing. There was nobody representing PCB (during the presentation ceremony). This was a tournament hosted by Pakistan and nobody representing the country was present during the ceremony. This is beyond my understanding. Why wasn’t anyone there to represent Pakistan and handover trophies? It’s beyond me. A point to think about, please.”
He further stated, “It’s a world stage, there should have been someone from PCB present. Sadly, I couldn’t see any PCB member out there. We hosted it and yet there was nobody (from PCB) there. Think about it, feeling very down to see that.”
Here is the video:
https://x.com/shoaib100mph/status/1898786882562957599
Click to watch this video directly on X
India emerged victorious in the final, defeating New Zealand by four wickets to claim the Champions Trophy for the first time in 12 years. Their journey to the title was marked by an unbeaten run, with wins against Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia. This victory marked India’s third Champions Trophy triumph, having previously won in 2002 (as joint winners) and 2013.
