The ICC Champions Trophy cricket tournament will continue on Thursday, Feb. 20 with a game between India and Bangladesh at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, UAE. The match is set to start at 4 a.m. EST and will be available to watch on Willow TV. Fans can access a free trial of FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which offers $30 off the first month, to watch the game. SlingTV does not offer a free trial but has other promotional offers.
The tournament, featuring Pakistan, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and Australia along with India and Bangladesh, will run until March 9. The Champions Trophy was launched in 1998 and initially held every two years but later moved to a four-year cycle in between World Cups. The tournament has not been contested since 2017 when Pakistan beat India in the final in England.
There have been concerns surrounding some of the teams participating in the tournament, with politicians from England and South Africa urging cricket authorities to boycott group games against Afghanistan due to women’s rights violations by the Taliban.
Key players will be missing from several squads due to injuries, including Mitchell Starc from Australia, Jasprit Bumrah from India, Jacob Bethell from England, AM Ghazanfar from Afghanistan, and Lockie Ferguson from New Zealand.
Stadium upgrades have been completed in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi to prepare for the tournament, with Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium undergoing a massive overhaul in just 117 days. Pakistan will host 10 games, including one semifinal, with the final scheduled to be played in Lahore on March 9 if India does not qualify. Dubai will host all three of India’s group matches and a semifinal.
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