BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla Greeted By PCB Official Upon Arrival In Lahore Ahead Of NZ vs SA Champions Trophy 2025 Semi-Final; Video

The vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Rajeev Shukla has arrived in Lahore to attend the South Africa vs New Zealand ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final match on Wednesday, March 5.

In a video shared by Pakistan journalist Qadir Khawaja on social media, the BCCI VP was seen being greeted by a PCB official upon his arrival in Lahore. With India winning their semi-final match against Australia, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final to be Held in Dubai and not in Pakistan.

This is not the first time that Rajeev Shukla visited Pakistan in recent years. Rajeev Shukla had earlier visited Pakistan during the 2023 Asia Cup alongside BCCI President Roger Binny. He had also delivered a speech at the Governor's House in Lahore.

Shukla's visit to Lahore comes a couple of days after Sunil Gavaskar suggested that bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan can only resume if both governments ensure peace at the borders.

During a recent discussion on 'Ten Sports' show 'Dressing Room’, Gavaskar stated that Asserting that border tensions remain the primary hurdle in resuming cricket ties between the two countries. He had said, "It's very simple. If there’s peace at the borders, then I think both governments will certainly say, 'Look, okay, we've had no incidents, nothing at all. So let’s at least start talking',"

Why India decided against visiting Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025?

India decided not to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy due to security concerns. Initially, Pakistan did not agree to move India's matches to a neutral venue, and there were reports suggesting that the Pakistan Cricket Board was considering pulling out of the tournament.

However, after discussions, the International Cricket Council (ICC) along with the cricket boards of both India and Pakistan, reached an agreement on a hybrid model. This model allowed India to play all their matches in Dubai.

The ICC has now extended this hybrid model to all ICC tournaments hosted in India and Pakistan until 2028. As part of the arrangement, Pakistan will not be participating in the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and the 2025 Women's World Cup.