With the 2025 Champions Trophy set to commence today (February 19), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has addressed a controversy regarding the absence of the Indian flag at Karachi’s National Stadium. A viral video had surfaced showing India’s flag was missing from the venue a few days ago.
While flags of all other participating teams were displayed, speculation arose that India’s flag was omitted due to the Men in Blue’s decision to play their matches in Dubai instead of traveling to Pakistan.
However, the host nation has now rectified the situation. Fresh visuals from the National Stadium in Karachi confirm that the Indian flag has been placed alongside those of the other competing teams. The venue now displays the flags of all eight nations participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
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The PCB also clarified the controversy, stating that only the flags of the teams participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan were displayed at the stadiums.
“As you know, India is not coming to Pakistan to play its matches during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025; the National Stadium in Karachi, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore have hoisted flags of countries that are going to play at the said venues,” a PCB source was quoted as saying by IANS (via NDTV Sports).
PCB clarifies absence of Bangladesh flag alongside India’s at 2025 Champions Trophy venues
In addition to India, the Bangladesh flag was also absent in Karachi and Lahore. The PCB clarified that since Bangladesh had not yet arrived in Pakistan and will play their first match against India in Dubai on February 20, their flag was not displayed. Only the flags of teams that have arrived in Pakistan were hoisted at the venue.
“The Indian team is going to play its matches in Dubai. Secondly, the Bangladesh team has not yet arrived in Pakistan and will be playing its first match against India in Dubai.”
“Therefore, their flags have not been hoisted and the other nations, who have arrived here and will be playing in Pakistan… their flags are there at the stadium,” the source added in the same interview.
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