Renovated National Stadium of Karachi set to be inaugurated on 11th February ahead of Champions Trophy 2025
The iconic National Cricket Stadium of Karachi is all set and ready to hosts the matches of ICC's Champions Trophy 2025 tournament. Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) personally oversaw the renovation progress and thanks to the hardwork & dedication of the workers, the Stadium renovation has been completed in a span of 4 months.
The official inauguration of the Cricket Stadium in Karachi is slated to be held tomorrow i.e 11th of February in the evening period and a grand opening ceremony has been planned by the PCB. Famous Pakistani singers Shafqat Amanat Ali & Sahir Ali Bagga will be seen performing in the ceremony and they will be entertaining the crowd with their singing talent.
An eye catching fireworks display along with a light show are also planned to feature in the event. Fans can enter the stadium free of cost in order to attend the grand opening ceremony.
"The renovation work at the National Stadium of Karachi commenced on the 28th of September last year and thanks to the blessings of God, the project got completed by the 31st of January. The Pavillion building of the stadium was demolished completely and and it has been rebuilt with a fresh look and state of the art facilities. Also, new sitting chairs have been installed in the stands," Mohsin Naqvi said.
"Mordern scoreboards, new LED lights and new grills have also been added while the fences across the stadium have been removed in order to ensure a better viewing experience for the supporters. Renovation work on the hospitality boxes have been conductrd and a new pedestrian walking bridge along with a brand new ring-road have also be built," he added.
The PCB chairman also praised the hard work done by the workers involved in renovating the stadium, highlighting the efforts of the PCB team and Frontier Works Organization (FWO). He acknowledged their vigorous efforts in completing the renovation work before the commencement of the Champions Trophy.
"We have added top notch facilities for both the players and the fans. For the Champions Trophy participating teams, we will be giving our best to provide the best possible facilities to the players," he said.
The inauguration of the stadium comes days after Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Gaddafi Stadium of Lahore which underwent massive renovations as well. The PCB had commenced the major upgradation project of the two venues last year owing to the forthcoming 2025 Champions Trophy whose matches are slated to be played at these two stadiums along with Rawalpindi's Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The Gaddafi Stadium of Karachi is slated to play host to it's very first Champions Trophy clash on the 22nd of February as Ashes Rivals Australia & England will be taking on each other.
The marquee ICC event of this year, comprising of 15 encounters, is set to commence from the 19th of February onwards with the all-important Final taking place on the 9th of March. All the 8 participating teams are divided into two groups of four sides each, with Group-A comprising of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan & New Zealand, while Group-B consists of England, Afghanistan, South Africa & Australia.
Pakistan will be hosting a total of 10 Champions Trophy 2025 matches, while four games, including all three of Team India's group-stage fixtures and the first semi-final will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium of Dubai.
The trophy-deciding clash of the eight team tournament is scheduled to take place at the Gaddafi Stadium of Lahore but if the Men in Blue successfully qualify for the final, then it will be played in Dubai.
Furthermore, the Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore) and the National Cricket Stadium (Karachi) are also currently playing hosts to the Triangular series matches between New Zealand, South Africa & Pakistan. The bilateral event commenced on the 8th of February and it culminates on 14th February.