It looks like the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wants to duke it out with the BCCI. Aiming at hosting the Champions Trophy 2025 at home in February and March, PCB has decided to host their biggest earner, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), during the same window as the Indian Premier League (IPL). Instead of hosting the event in January, the PCB has instead decided to host the event during the peak Indian season.
PSL vs IPL confirmed!
In a press release, the PCB confirmed that the PSL 2025 season will be held from April 7 to May 20 in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi. The franchises were previously against the idea of hosting the event against the IPL, but the PCB has gone ahead with the decision despite their concerns.
The decision was taken due to a packed domestic season. In January 2025, Pakistan’s tour of South Africa will end, and then they’ll head to New Zealand for a limited-overs tour. The next month (February), they’ll play a triangular ODI series with New Zealand and South Africa. Once that ends, the Champions Trophy 2025, the first ICC event to be held in Pakistan since 1996, will commence, which will run from late February to early March.
Pakistan Cricket
Could PCB have avoided the clash?
If Pakistan had decided to hold the PSL 2025 season before the Champions Trophy 2025, it would have compromised their international and domestic cricket. They could either allow their top players to participate in the PSL or send them abroad for the South Africa or New Zealand tours. That would impact them on two fronts, and so they decided against it.
Another way was to hold it much later in the year (October-November), but like they did in 2020, they instead chose to challenge the IPL and risk their and PSL franchises’ success. How badly will this affect them? Only time will tell.
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