2023 World Cup to decide who will play in 2025 Champions Trophy: Report

The top seven teams at the end of the league stage of the 2023 World Cup and hosts Pakistan will compete in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, ESPNcricinfo reported on Sunday (October 29). The eight-team event was last played in 2017 but is set to return from next year.

The report said that the qualification system for the 2025 Champions Trophy was approved by the ICC Board way back in 2021, when they decided to bring back the competition for the 2024-31 cycle.

This was brought to attention after Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan spoke about the importance of finishing in the top eight of the ongoing World Cup. 

"I mean, not the semi-final hope. It is not a semi-final possibility," Shakib said on Saturday, after Bangladesh lost to the Netherlands on Saturday.

"At least, do a little better. Suppose, you have to be in the (top) ranking eight if you want to play in the Champions Trophy. So, there are still three matches left considering that in mind."

This now means that full-member nations like West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland won’t get an opportunity to qualify for the Champions Trophy.

In the 2013 and 2017 editions of the Champions Trophy, the top eight sides in the ODI rankings at a cut-off date were given tickets for the tournament.