The 2025 Champions Trophy is scheduled to begin in the first week of February. But timing-wise, it presents a big problem for several T20 leagues worldwide. Due to their January and February dates, at least four T20 competitions—the SA20, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the ILT20, and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)—will be impacted.
While the SA20 began on January 10 and will end on February 10, the ILT20, which started on January 19, is scheduled to expire on February 17, 2024. The PSL, which is played in February and March, will also be impacted. The BPL started in January and will go through March. The officials involved in these leagues are already devising a contingency plan, but it is proving to be quite challenging to find a window in a packed schedule.
The venue is still the big issue while the scheduling puzzle comes together. Though there are still questions, Pakistan, the host country, just signed an agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC). During the Asia Cup in 2023, India declined to visit its neighbor, and it is likely that it would do the same in 2025. Officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have not yet commented on the issue because it is anticipated to come up for debate at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The event may be moved to a new location if India, which is very likely, refuses to travel to Pakistan. The Asia Cup was shifted to Sri Lanka for half of the competition last year, and the Champions Trophy may follow suit. Pakistan has played many of its home games in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which appears to be the most logical option right now. However, no talks have taken place as of yet.
An ILT20 official has acknowledged that the leagues would have a “limited window” and must work inside it, so in the interim, they can work on their schedule. As of right now, it looks like the franchise tournaments will start in late December and last through January. But then it might run afoul of the Big Bash League (BBL).
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