India flag goes missing at ICC Champions Trophy 2025 venue in Karachi, video goes viral ahead of India vs Pakistan match
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Hosts Pakistan displayed all other ICC Champions Trophy 2025 participating team’s flags at National Stadium in Karachi apart from the India tri-colour as seen in viral video.
The all-important clash between arch-rivals Team India and Pakistan is set to take place in Dubai this coming Sunday. India along with hosts Pakistan are one of 8 teams participating in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 which gets underway in Karachi on Wednesday (February 19).
However, just a couple of days ahead of the Champions Trophy opener and less than a week before the electrifying India vs Pakistan showdown, an unusual sight caught the attention of fans at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium — India’s flag was missing, even though the flags of all other remaining participating nations were on display.
Pakistan, the defending champions and host nation, is set to welcome seven other teams for the eight-team tournament, which kicks off on Wednesday. However, during an event at the National Stadium on Sunday (February 16), spectators noticed the conspicuous absence of the Indian flag, sparking speculation.
WATCH viral video of Team India flag missing from National Stadium in Karachi HERE…
No Indian flag in #Karachi:
only the Indian team faced security issues in #Pakistan & refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, the PCB removed the #India flag from the Karachi stadium while keeping the flags of the other guest playing nations.#ChampionsTrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/QaZMqglAu1— shahinur (@shahinu_r) February 17, 2025
Many fans believe this was the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) response to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to keep the Indian team from traveling to Pakistan for the marquee event, citing a lack of clearance from their government.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) approved a hybrid model for India, allowing them to play all their matches in Dubai instead of traveling to Pakistan. India will compete in their three league-stage games at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) – against Bangladesh on February 20, Pakistan on February 23, and New Zealand on March 2.
Pakistan, on the other hand, will kick off their campaign against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi, travel to Dubai for their high-stakes encounter against India, and then return to Rawalpindi to face Bangladesh on February 27.
DICS has witnessed considerable cricketing action in recent months, following the conclusion of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. The venue also hosted the Men’s U-19 Asia Cup and the ILT20 league, a flagship event organized by the Emirates Cricket Board.
Meanwhile, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh warned the Rohit Sharma-led side to be wary of Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman, who has been in sensational form since his return to the national side recently.
“Fakhar has that experience, and he can take the game away from India,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
The Pakistani southpaw boasts an impressive record against the Men-in-Blue in ODIs. With his explosive approach, Fakhar has garnered 234 runs in six matches, averaging 46.80 at a blistering strike rate of 82.39.
In the Champions Trophy, India and Pakistan last battled in the final of the 2017 edition at The Oval. Fakhar proved the difference between the two sides when the stakes were high.
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