A viral video that showed the Indian flag not being flown at Karachi’s National Stadium went popular on social media only days before the Champions Trophy 2025 officially kicked off, sparking a controversy.
The flags of the participating countries—aside from India’s—are shown in the video, which was posted by a well-known Pakistani cricket enthusiast.
Uncertain Causes for the Absence of the Indian Flag
The reason behind the Indian flag’s absence from the stadium is yet unknown. The flag could have been positioned somewhere else in the venue and was missed by the camera.
Three Pakistani stadiums have been chosen to host Champions Trophy 2025 matches: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and the National Stadium in Karachi.
No Indian flag in Karachi: As only the Indian team faced security issues in Pakistan and refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, the PCB removed the Indian flag from the Karachi stadium while keeping the flags of the other guest playing nations.
– Absolute Cinema,… pic.twitter.com/2zmcATn7iQ
— Nawaz 🇵🇰 (@Rnawaz31888) February 16, 2025
Conjecture Regarding India’s Absence from Pakistan
Many cricket fans think that Team India’s decision to skip the event in Pakistan because of security concerns is connected to the lost flag. India will play all of its games, including the championship game if they advance, in Dubai, while the other seven teams will play in Pakistan.
The tournament’s schedule was finally settled in late December 2024 due in large part to tensions between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Social media users are debating the popular footage, with some claiming that the PCB purposefully took down the Indian flag.
“The PCB decided to remove their flag from Karachi Stadium while keeping the others because the Indian team refused to play in Pakistan,” one supporter said. Congratulations, Mohsin Naqvi.
Indian fans criticize PCB’s alleged move
Supporters of Indian cricket have blasted the PCB, referring to the purported flag removal as a “petty” conduct.
“Mohsin Naqvi and PCB can play their petty games, but India has moved past this nonsense,” a fan commented on X (previously Twitter). Keep the drama and the flags going.
The dispute exacerbates the already strained relations between the two cricket bodies as the competition draws near and continues to spark conversations among cricket fans.
