Dasun Shanaka describes Pakistan as a serious contender for the upcoming Champions Trophy and points to the advantage of playing in familiar home conditions.

Dasun Shanaka believes Pakistan is one of the top contenders for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy, especially since the tournament will be played on home soil.

In a recent interview, Shanaka highlighted the strengths of the Pakistan team and their ability to perform in front of the home crowd. "Pakistan will definitely fight in the Champions Trophy tournament," he assured.

However, Shanaka also acknowledged other major contenders like Australia, India and England, saying, "They are also top contenders; you cannot write them off." This underlines the competitive nature of the tournament.

The opening match of the Champions Trophy will see hosts Pakistan and New Zealand face off in Karachi on February 19, followed by a highly anticipated clash between Pakistan and India in Dubai on February 23.

The Champions Trophy final is scheduled to be played in Lahore, but if India qualify, the match will be moved to Dubai. A reserve day has also been scheduled for the final to avoid any weather disruption.

On the preparation side, the renovation and upgrade of the National Stadium in Karachi for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is nearing completion, with the deadline for the project now extended for the third time to January 31.

The original completion date was December 15, which was later pushed to December 31 and then January 25 and lastly confirmed for January 31. Arshad Khan, General Manager of the stadium, along with Project Manager Mohammad Bilal Chohan have assured that the renovation will be completed on time.

The renovation work approved by the PCB under the leadership of Mohsin Naqvi began on October 22 and involves construction companies working diligently to prepare for this prestigious event.