The ICC Champions Trophy is set to make its long-awaited return after an eight-year hiatus. Pakistan will be hosting the tournament for the first time since winning the last edition in 2017. The competition, featuring eight teams, kicks off on Wednesday.

However, with the tournament yet to begin, the off-field drama is already making headlines. A fresh controversy erupted after a video surfaced on social media that pointed out the absence of the Indian flag at the National Stadium in Karachi. The footage, which quickly went viral, displayed flags of other participating nations prominently, while India’s tricolour was apparently missing. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

A user posted the video and captioned, “No Indian flag in Karachi: As only the Indian team faced security issues in Pakistan and refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, the PCB removed the Indian flag from the Karachi stadium while keeping the flags of the other guest playing nations. Absolute Cinema, Well done Mohsin Naqvi.”

The Indian fans were not happy about the video and then began the age-old India-Pak rivalry in the comments section. An Indian user pointed out, “But still you used an Indian song [in the video]. How sad it is for you.” “Mohsin Naqvi and PCB can play their petty games, but India has moved past this nonsense. Keep the flags, keep the drama…,” another user wrote.

One user commented, “India raises legit security concerns, & Pakistan throws a tantrum by removing our flag? Childish at best.”

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Some fans speculate that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may have deliberately omitted India’s flag in response to the BCCI declining to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the tournament. Due to security concerns and lack of government clearance, India will play their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, following a hybrid model agreed upon after extensive negotiations between the BCCI, PCB, and ICC.

PCB had even threatened to withdraw from the tournament during the discussions, but eventually, the compromise was reached. The knockout stage and final venue remain undecided, as it will depend on whether India progresses in the tournament.