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A major social media uproar erupted after a video surfaced showing Karachi’s National Stadium decorated with flags of teams participating in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025—except for India’s.
With the tournament set to be co-hosted by Pakistan and the UAE from February 19, many cricket fans and analysts accused the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of deliberately excluding India’s flag, linking it to the ongoing political tensions between the two nations.
However, the PCB has now broken its silence and clarified the reason behind the flag’s absence.
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Why Was India’s Flag Missing at Karachi’s National Stadium?
The viral video showed that while the flags of other competing nations were displayed at Karachi’s National Stadium, India’s was notably absent. Speculation quickly spread, with some alleging that Pakistan was retaliating against India’s refusal to play matches in Pakistan.
However, PCB officials denied any political motive, stating that the flag placements were done purely based on the tournament schedule. Since India will play all its matches in Dubai under the hybrid model, PCB chose not to display India’s flag at Pakistani venues.
“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 Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore have hoisted flags of countries that are going to play at these venues,” a PCB source told IANS.
What About Bangladesh’s Flag?
Apart from India, the Bangladesh flag was also missing from Karachi’s stadium. The PCB clarified that this was because Bangladesh had not yet arrived in Pakistan and their first match against India will be played in Dubai.
“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. The other nations, who have arrived here and will be playing in Pakistan, have their flags displayed at the stadium,” the source added.
Did PCB Deliberately Exclude India’s Flag?
Given the long-standing tensions between India and Pakistan, some believed that PCB intentionally omitted India’s flag as a political statement. However, the board has dismissed these claims, calling the controversy “factless and unnecessary.”
“I don’t think PCB needs to even give an official statement on this. It’s clear that the controversy is made without facts and aims to damage host Pakistan’s image with fake news,” a PCB source said.
With India set to kick off its Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai, the focus now shifts to the on-field action rather than off-field controversies.
