On the eve of the Champions Trophy's opening match, the Indian tricolor was finally seen flying at Karachi's National Stadium. This came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) faced heavy criticism when a viral video from Gaddafi Stadium showed flags of all participating nations except India.
After the viral footage surfaced, social media speculated that PCB deliberately excluded India’s flag as an act of retaliation against BCCI’s decision. However, on Tuesday, just ahead of the tournament opener between Pakistan and New Zealand, the Indian flag was finally placed at Karachi’s National Stadium, putting an end to the controversy.
BCCI on exclusion of Indian Flag
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla reckoned that the Indian flag deserved a place in the host nation. Speaking to Livemint on sidelines of an event, Shukla said, "First, it should be confirmed that whether the Indian flag was there or not. If it wasn't there, then it should have been put. All the participant nation's flags should have been there,"
PCB' stance on the controversy surrounding Indian flag
Earlier a PCB official told the IANS news agency," There is no need for the PCB to issue an official statement on this. The entire debate is based on misinformation and appears to be an attempt to tarnish Pakistan’s image as the host nation.”
He further added, “As you are aware, India will not be playing its matches in Pakistan during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The National Stadium in Karachi, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore have only raised the flags of the teams scheduled to play at these venues,”
