The opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy will be held in Lahore on February 16 at the Hazuri Bagh Fort, built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. ICC hasn’t made any official announcement for the dates. The information is reported by news agency PTI. According to the report, there will be a photo shoot, and after that, a press conference will be held with the captains of all the teams. However, it is not clear whether Indian captain Rohit Sharma will be part of it.
Champions Trophy opening ceremony at the same venue as PSL
Hazuri Bagh is a garden in Lahore, Pakistan, built during the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. At its centre is the Hazuri Bagh Baradari, constructed by the Maharaja in 1818 after acquiring the Kohinoor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani in 1813. Celebrities, cricket legends, and officials of the Pakistani government are being invited to the ceremony. The Pakistan Super League was also inaugurated in Hazuri Bagh last month.
Renovations for Champions Trophy underway
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will re-open Gaddafi Stadium on February 7. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari will open the PCB National Stadium in Karachi on February 11. The first match of the Champions Trophy will be played between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19. Currently, renovation work is ongoing in both stadiums.
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India to play its matches in Dubai
The Indian team will play all its Champions Trophy matches at the Dubai International Stadium. The BCCI had refused to send Team India to Pakistan. Consequently, it has been decided to hold all of India’s matches in Dubai. The Pakistan team will be playing as the defending champion this time. Pakistan won the last title in 2017 under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed. The Pakistan team defeated India by 180 runs in the final.
