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 &amp; 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 &amp; 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. 
<blockquote>
"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.
</blockquote>
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. 
<blockquote>
"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.
</blockquote>
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 &amp; 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 &amp; New Zealand, while Group-B consists of England, Afghanistan, South Africa &amp; 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 &amp; Pakistan. The bilateral event commenced on the 8th of February and it culminates on 14th February. 
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/not-264-runs-this-record-of-indian-captain-rohit-sharma-is-very-difficult-to-break-in-international-cricket/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Not 264 runs, this record of Indian Captain Rohit Sharma is very difficult to break in International Cricket</a>

An aerial view of Karachi's National Cricket Stadium of Karachi | Image Credits: AP

The renovation work of the National Cricket Stadium of Karachi concluded recently and the stadium is now ready to play host to the Champions Trophy 2025 matches. Also, the inauguration of the stadium will be conducted tomorrow in the evening

The brand new renovated National Cricket Stadium of Karachi is set to be inaugurated on the 11th of February by the PCB ahead of Champions Trophy 2025 and it's now completely ready with brand new state of the art facilities to hosts matches

Renovated National Stadium of Karachi set to be inaugurated on 11th February ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

renovated-national-stadium-of-karachi-set-to-be-inaugurated-on-11th-february-ahead-of-champions-trophy-2025

NEW ZEALAND are into the FINALs: The New Zealand Cricket team are in a winning momentum as they have not only secured two consecutive wins in the tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa but have secured a spot in the final of the series. 
It seems that New Zealand have understood the Gaddafi Stadium's pitches by roots. This is very good news for the Kiwis but would be threatening for all the other seven teams in the Champions Trophy. The batters are in form, the bowlers are tasting good wickets and the players are proactive on the field. 
Let's take a look at the summary of the two matches against Pakistan and South Africa in the triangular series:
<h2>Match 1: New Zealand vs Pakistan</h2>
New Zealand kicked off their tri-series campaign with a commanding 78-run victory over Pakistan. Batting first, the Kiwis put up a formidable 330/6 in 50 overs, thanks to a well-paced start by Kane Williamson (58) and Daryl Mitchell (62). However, it was Glenn Phillips who truly stole the limelight, launching a breathtaking counterattack in the death overs.
<img class="img-additional" src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/images/202502/image_430x256_67aac9a5cde22.jpg" alt="">
His explosive 104 off 60 balls completely shifted the momentum, as New Zealand plundered 84 runs in the final five overs. Pakistan’s bowling attack suffered a major setback when Haris Rauf was ruled out of the death overs due to a side strain, allowing the visitors to capitalize.
Chasing 331, Pakistan lost Babar Azam early, but Fakhar Zaman played a counterattacking knock, scoring a fluent 74 off 65 balls. However, his dismissal triggered a collapse, with Ghulam struggling for rhythm and wickets tumbling at crucial moments. Agha Salman (42) and Tahir (37) put up some resistance, stitching together a 50-run stand, but the pressure of an ever-rising required run rate proved too much.
New Zealand’s spin duo of Mitchell Santner (3/38) and Michael Bracewell (2/41) turned the game in their favor, while Matt Henry wrapped up the innings with a 3-wicket haul. Pakistan was bowled out for 252 in 47.5 overs, handing New Zealand a convincing win.
Scorecard:
<ul>
<li>New Zealand: 330/6 (50 overs)</li>
<li>Pakistan: 252 all out (47.5 overs)</li>
<li>New Zealand won by 78 runs</li>
</ul>
<h2>Match 2: New Zealand vs South Africa</h2>
New Zealand continued their dominant run with a 6-wicket win over South Africa in Lahore. The Proteas, batting first, posted a strong 304/6 in 50 overs, courtesy of a stunning knock from Matthew Breetzke. Despite losing captain Temba Bavuma early, Breetzke and Jason Smith built a steady partnership before the latter was run out following a sharp throw from Mitchell Santner.
Breetzke then combined with Wiaan Mulder for a crucial 131-run stand, with Breetzke smashing 150 off 128 balls. Mulder provided solid support with a well-compiled 58, helping South Africa finish with a competitive total, thanks to 108 runs in the final 10 overs.  
<img class="img-additional" src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/images/202502/image_430x256_67aac9a79ee99.jpg" alt="">
In response, New Zealand made the chase look comfortable despite taking 48.4 overs to reach the target. Openers Will Young and Devon Conway provided a steady start before Ethan Bosch dismissed Young. However, Kane Williamson took charge, scoring an authoritative 112 off 80 balls at a strike rate of nearly 140, keeping the required run rate in check.
Conway was equally impressive but missed out on a century, falling for 97. South Africa had a brief moment of hope when Senuran Muthusamy struck twice in an over, but Glenn Phillips (32*) and Williamson ensured there were no further hiccups. New Zealand reached 308/4, sealing a well-controlled chase and securing a direct spot in the final.
Scorecard:
<ul>
<li>South Africa: 304/6 (50 overs)</li>
<li>New Zealand: 308/4 (48.4 overs)</li>
<li style="font-weight: bold;">New Zealand won by 6 wickets</li>
</ul>
<h2>Second Finalist– Pakistan or South Africa?</h2>
Pakistan and South Africa are set to play the third match of the triangular series and this will be the knockout game for the two teams. The winning team will head to the final against New Zealand. South Africa are looking more of a complete team at the moment against Pakistan. The batting order is on fire and the bowlers were decent in the match against New Zealand. Pakistan's batting and bowling, both are struggling and they are struggling real bad.
Pakistan and South Africa are set to play the game at the National Stadium, Karachi on February 12.

New Zealand secured a spot in the tri-series final with dominant wins over Pakistan and South Africa. Glenn Phillips' explosive century and Kane Williamson’s composed knock led their chases, while their spinners and death-over acceleration proved to be crucial in both victories.

New Zealand dominated Pakistan and South Africa, securing a finals spot with brilliant batting performances and impactful bowling displays.

New Zealand are into the FINALs of the PAK-NZ-SA Triangular Series 2025

new-zealand-are-into-the-finals-of-the-pak-nz-sa-triangular-series-2025

On 9th February 2025, a football match was played between Barcelona and Sevilla, in which Barcelona registered a dominant victory and won the game very easily in this big football match. This game was very exciting, and many goals were also scored in it, with some tough moments also seen. 
So, if you people have not been able to see this entire match and want to see SEV vs BAR Highlights, then today's article is going to be important for you. Let's start the current article and see the full highlights of the game.
<h2 dir="ltr">SEV vs BAR Highlights Today</h2>
When the match had started, no goal was scored for seven minutes. In the 7th minute, Barcelona’s player Robert scored the first goal for his team. This goal came due to Sevilla's mistake, and Robert took advantage of this and successfully registered the first goal for his team.
Sevilla's team was not disappointed at all by this; they did not give up. Their player Ruben scored the first goal for his team, and after this goal, the audience got very excited. It seemed that this match was going to be very close because players of both teams had registered one goal each for their respective teams.
<h2 dir="ltr">SEV vs BAR Highlights: How It Turned Into A Dominant Victory</h2>
The match kept going, and after seeing one goal from the opponent's team, the players of Barcelona became stronger by taking the lead. Barcelona's player Fermin Lopez gave a very good performance and scored two goals. 
This match was looking very tough in the beginning, but as Barcelona's team started playing well, the match completely turned one-sided. Barcelona's player Raphinha added one more goal for his team, and now the score had reached 3-1.
<h2 dir="ltr">The Red Card Drama</h2>
Barcelona was performing very well, but they had to face some problems here. In the 60th minute, Fermin Lopez made a bad tackle, and because of this, the referee gave him a red card. This meant that he had to leave the game midway, and now Barcelona had only ten players left on the field.
Despite having one player less, Barcelona did not give up at all. In the 89th minute, one more player of theirs scored another goal, and now the score had become 4-1. 
Barcelona fans were very happy and were enjoying their victory. After the match was completed, the coach of the team was also very proud of them, and despite having one player less, they had now become the champions. 
This match and this victory are very important for them. Now they are well prepared to play the match with Real Madrid in the league, and if they keep winning like this, then they can also become the champions of the entire tournament.

On 9th February 2025, a football match was played between Barcelona and Sevilla, in which Barcelona registered a dominant victory and won the game very easily in this big football match.

SEV vs BAR Highlights : Barcelona Secures Victory, A Game Full of Action

sev-vs-bar-highlights-barcelona-secures-victory-a-game-full-of-action

Team India's captain and legendary batter Rohit Sharma is just one step away from scripting history in International Cricket, as he is set to create a huge record in the 3rd ODI versus England. Let us tell you that the third and final match of three-match ODI series between India and England is slated to be played on the 12th of February, Wednesday at the iconic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium of Ahmedabad. 
The Men in Blue have already clinched the series and have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead. The forthcoming third ODI versus the Three Lions can prove to be historic for skipper Rohit. 
<h2>Rohit Sharma has a chance to create history</h2>
In the third One-Day International versus the Jos Buttler-led team, the 37-year-old will be aiming to create a record which will help him achieve the level of greatness. If the veteran batter manages to slam a hundred in this match too, then he will create a record of centuries in International Cricket. 
He's on the brink of slamming 50 Hundreds in International Cricket and by doing so, the 'Hitman' will become the third Indian batter to slam 50 tons in International Cricket for the Indian Team. 
<h2>Set to equal the feat of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli</h2>
So far, only the duo of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar &amp; Virat 'The King' Kohli have recorded more than 50 hundreds for India in International Cricket. The former has 100 centuries to his name while the latter has slammed 81 tons till date. 
Rohit, on the other hand, has breached the 100 runs mark 49 times at present. If the 37-year-old scores yet another ton in the third One-Day versus England, he will become the 10 batter in the world and only the third Indian to complete a half-century of Hundreds in International Cricket. 
<h3>Indians who have slammed 50+ tons in International Cricket</h3>
1. Sachin Tendulkar - 100 centuries (Tests - 51 and ODIs - 49)

2. Virat Kohli - 81 centuries (Tests – 30, ODIs – 50 and T20Is – 1)

<h2>Most centuries in International cricket</h2>

1. Sachin Tendulkar of India - 100 centuries

2. Virat Kohli of India - 81* centuries

3. Ricky Ponting of Australia- 71 centuries

4. Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka- 63 centuries

5. Jacques Kallis of South Africa- 62 centuries

6. Hashim Amla of South Africa- 55 centuries

7. Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka– 54 centuries

8. Brian Lara of West Indies - 53 centuries

9. Joe Root of England- 52* centuries

10. David Warner of Australia- 49 centuries

11. Rohit Sharma (India) - 49* centuries

Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/batting-strategy-or-blunder-kl-rahul-and-hardik-pandya-at-6-and-7/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Batting Strategy or Blunder? KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya at 6 and 7</a>

Rohit Sharma of Team India celebrates scoring a century in the 2nd ODI versus England | Image Credits: Associated Press & Getty Images

Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma is in great form after slamming his 49th International ton in the 2nd ODI versus England. There's some good news for Rohit Sharma fans as he now has the chance of scripting history in International Cricket if he manages to slam a hundred in the 3rd ODI versus England

Indian Captain Rohit Sharma has a chance of creating history in Internet Cricket as a century in the 3rd ODI versus England can help him match the duo of Sachin Tendulkar & Virat Kohli

Captain Rohit Sharma is one step away from creating history in International Cricket, set to match Sachin & Virat

captain-rohit-sharma-is-one-step-away-from-creating-history-in-international-cricket-set-to-match-sachin-virat

ICC announces the list of The Champions Trophy for 2025. It is all set to kickstart on the 19th of February with Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the series opener. 
This marks the first of 12 group-stage matches across Pakistan and Dubai as the Champions Trophy returns after an eight-year break.
Below is the full list of match officials for the group stage:
Pakistan v New Zealand, 19 February – Karachi
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Richard Kettleborough and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid</li>
<li>TV umpire: Joel Wilson</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Alex Wharf</li>
<li>Referee: Andrew Pycroft</li>
</ul>
Bangladesh v India, 20 February – Dubai
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Adrian Holdstock and Paul Reiffel</li>
<li>TV umpire: Richard Illingworth</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Michael Gough</li>
<li>Referee: David Boon</li>
</ul>
Afghanistan v South Africa, 21 February – Karachi
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Alex Wharf and Rodney Tucker</li>
<li>TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid</li>
<li>Referee: Ranjan Madugalle</li>
</ul>
Australia v England, 22 February – Lahore
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Joel Wilson and Chris Gaffaney</li>
<li>TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Ahsan Raza</li>
<li>Referee: Andrew Pycroft</li>
</ul>
Pakistan v India, 23 February – Dubai
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Paul Reiffel and Richard Illingworth</li>
<li>TV umpire: Michael Gough</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Adrian Holdstock</li>
<li>Referee: David Boon</li>
</ul>
Bangladesh v New Zealand, 24 February – Rawalpindi
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Ahsan Raza and Kumar Dharmasena</li>
<li>TV umpire: Rodney Tucker</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Joel Wilson</li>
<li>Referee: Ranjan Madugalle</li>
</ul>
Australia v South Africa, 25 February – Rawalpindi
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Richard Kettleborough and Chris Gaffaney</li>
<li>TV umpire: Alex Wharf</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Kumar Dharmasena</li>
<li>Referee: Andrew Pycroft</li>
</ul>
Afghanistan v England, 26 February – Lahore
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and Joel Wilson</li>
<li>TV umpire: Ahsan Raza</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Rodney Tucker</li>
<li>Referee: Ranjan Madugalle</li>
</ul>
Pakistan v Bangladesh, 27 February – Rawalpindi
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Michael Gough and Adrian Holdstock</li>
<li>TV umpire: Paul Reiffel</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Richard Illingworth</li>
<li>Referee: David Boon</li>
</ul>
Afghanistan v Australia, 28 February – Lahore
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Alex Wharf and Kumar Dharmasena</li>
<li>TV umpire: Chris Gaffaney</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Richard Kettleborough</li>
<li>Referee: Andrew Pycroft</li>
</ul>
South Africa v England, 1 March – Karachi
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Rodney Tucker and Ahsan Raza</li>
<li>TV umpire: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Joel Wilson</li>
<li>Referee: Ranjan Madugalle</li>
</ul>
New Zealand v India, 2 March – Dubai
<ul>
<li>On-field umpires: Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth</li>
<li>TV umpire: Adrian Holdstock</li>
<li>Fourth umpire: Paul Reiffel</li>
<li>Referee: David Boon</li>
</ul>

ICC Announces Match Officials for Champions Trophy 2025

It was a surprising turn by BCCI, that Richard Kettleborough will not be officiating any group-stage match of India in the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025.

Here are the details of match officials for the high-profile encounter between India and Pakistan in Champions Trophy

icc-announces-match-officials-for-champions-trophy-2025

In what comes as a shock to many, Team India, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, are unlikely to take part in any of the Champions Trophy 2025 warm-up games, the Indian Media reported on Monday, 10th February. 
According to the report of Geo News, the Indian team, who are currently engaged in a white ball bilateral series event versus England, will depart for Dubai on the 15th of February, where they are scheduled to play all of their Champions Trophy 2025 matches.The news report further suggested that the 2013 winners will not be playing any warm-up games before the commencement of the eight-team tournament. 
This development comes two weeks after it was reported that the Men in Blue would play at least one warm-up contest versus the United Araba Emirates (UAE) or Bangladesh (BAN) in the city of Dubai but now that plan has reportedly been discarded. 
The 2025 edition of the tournament, comprising of a total of 15 games, will commence from 19th February and it will culminate on 9th March. This mega event of this year will be played across three venues of Pakistan - Lahore, Karachi &amp; Rawalpindi and in Dubai for Team India. 
Rohit Sharma &amp; his men will kick off their Champions Trophy campaign on 20th of February as they will be locking horns versus Asian-Rivals Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium of Dubai. Following the conclusion of this match, the Men in Blue will then take on Fierce-Rivals Pakistan in a highly energetic &amp; mega hit contest, scheduled to take place on the 23rd of February at the same stadium. 
Their group-stage phase will come to an end with the conclusion of their final match versus the Blackcaps in Dubai on the 2nd of March. 
<h2>Team India are sweating over the fitness of Jasprit Bumrah</h2>
The Indian team have already unveiled their 15-player squad for ICC's Champions Trophy 2025 tournament in January but the availability of elite seamer Jasprit Bumrah is uncertain as he continues to recover from the back-injury he suffered versus Australia. 
As per the latest update of the Indian media, the final call regarding his place in the team is slated to be taken tomorrow i.e on 11th of February, the deadline date for the submission of the final &amp; confirmed Champions Trophy squads to the ICC. 
Bumrah is a key part of the Indian Team and the fans would want him to be completely fit for the Champions Trophy. 
<h2>Team India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad</h2>
Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja &amp; Yashasvi Jaiswal. 
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/the-rise-of-rohit-sharma-shubman-gill-as-india-s-top-odi-openers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Rise Of Rohit Sharma &amp; Shubman Gill As India’s Top ODI Openers</a>

The Men's Champions Trophy (L) and Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli of Team India | Image Credits: Getty Images

In what comes as shock to many, the Indian Cricket Team are unlikely to take part in the warm-up matches ahead of Champions Trophy 2025. This decision may go on to backfire the Rohit Sharma-led Team

Rohit Sharma-led Team India are reportedly not going to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025 warm-up matches, a decision might go on to hurt them

national stadium karachi pakistan

Renovated National Stadium of Karachi set to be inaugurated on 11th February ahead of Champions Trophy 2025