The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may have sent the India cricket team to Pakistan, but BCCI Vice-President (VP) Rajeev Shukla will travel to the neighbouring nation. Both countries have had their issues, and following the Indian government’s discretion regarding player safety in Pakistan, the BCCI decided to make a deal with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that the Men in Blue will play all of their matches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
BCCI VP to watch SA vs NZ semifinal in Pakistan
According to SportTak, BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla, who’s currently in Dubai for the first ICC Champions Trophy semifinal between India and Australia, will reach Lahore tomorrow for the South Africa vs. New Zealand second semifinal. He’ll stay in Pakistan until March 6, since the knockout matches have an extra reserve day. He’s expected to return to Dubai for the ICC Champions Trophy Final, which will happen on March 9.
Although the two nations and boards haven’t seen eye to eye, PCB and BCCI officials do travel for tournaments. In the 2023 Asia Cup, which was host by the PCB, BCCI President Roger Binny and VP Rajeev Shukla went to Pakistan. Then PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf had also come to India for cricket’s El Clasico for the ODI World Cup 2023.
SA vs NZ: What’s on the line?
Talking about the match itself, South Africa is looking to win their second ICC Champions Trophy title. They were the inaugural winners of the tournament in 1998, and after the disappointment in the 2024 T20 World Cup Final, the Proteas will have to get into another major showdown. As for New Zealand, they haven’t won a white-ball ICC trophy yet. They have been close in two ODI World Cups but haven’t been able to get across the line.
