During the US Department of State's daily press briefing on November 14, a Pakistani journalist asked for views from the U.S. principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel about India's refusal to send its cricket team to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Labeling the event as the second-largest cricket tournament after the World Cup, the journalist asked Patel's views on mixing politics with sports. Visibly shocked, Patel responded that the issue is between India and Pakistan, stating, “As it relates to relations between India and Pakistan, that’s for them to address… I’ll leave it to them to speak about their bilateral relationship.” He added that while the U.S. cannot involve itself in this matter, sports remain a powerful unifying force. Read: BCCI Objection Alters ICC Champions Trophy Tour Route Patel emphasized the role of sports diplomacy, highlighting its importance in connecting people. He also clarified that, You’ve seen this department really prioritise the role of sports diplomacy in connecting people. It’s something that our current Under Secretary for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy, Lee Satterfield, values deeply; and our former Under Secretary, Liz Allen, really championed. Ultimately, sports connect so many people and it’s a great way to build human-to-human and people-to-people ties, something this administration has strongly emphasised. A Pakistani Journalist complains in US Department of State press briefing of BCCI refusal to send the Indian Cricket team to Pakistan for #ChampionsTrophy2025.Visibly shocked Dy Spokesperson Vedang Patel replies it's for Indian govt to decide on this not US. #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/1xx7pATnP3 — Ganesh (@me_ganesh14) November 16, 2024 India/Pakistan dilemma India's decision not to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy stems from security concerns, with the BCCI requesting that all matches be played in Dubai instead. The Champions Trophy, scheduled from February 19 to March 9, 2025, will feature the world's top eight teams competing across three venues in Pakistan: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.