Indian captain Rohit Sharma has hit back at claims that Team India is benefiting from an unfair 'advantage' in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The accusations suggest that India is getting undue benefits by playing all their matches at the same venue, the Dubai International Stadium. Rohit, however, dismissed these claims, emphasizing that Dubai’s playing conditions and pitches are unpredictable and vary significantly across matches.
THE HYBRID FORMAT AND INDIA’S CHALLENGING CONDITIONS
The ICC introduced a hybrid format for the Champions Trophy this year, originally set to be held entirely in Pakistan. As a result, India has played all its matches in Dubai, including the semi-final and final, assuming they qualify. However, this setup has led to skepticism from several cricketing figures, including Australia captain Pat Cummins, former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, and South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen, who all questioned the potential 'advantage' India might have.
Rohit responded by explaining the complexity of the conditions in Dubai. He pointed out that no two pitches are the same, even though the venues appear similar on the surface. This difference in pitch behavior has proven to be challenging for all teams, including India, despite not needing to travel between different cities or countries.
PITCH VARIATIONS AND UNPREDICTABLE CONDITIONS
Rohit highlighted that, although the pitch looked similar in all three of India’s matches, the surface behaved differently each time. “In our last match, the ball started swinging slightly, something we hadn’t seen in the first two games,” Rohit remarked. He also pointed out the cooling evening air in Dubai, which increases the chances of the ball swinging more than usual. He explained that the unpredictability of Dubai's pitches creates new challenges for the team every time they step onto the field.
"The nature of the surfaces keeps changing. Sometimes it spins, sometimes it doesn't. Every game brings new challenges for the batsmen. You have to constantly reassess whether to play certain shots depending on how the pitch behaves," he added. Rohit emphasized that even his team is uncertain about which pitch will be used, as there are multiple surfaces in play at the stadium.
DUBAI: NOT INDIA’S HOME TURF
Rohit also made it clear that Dubai is not considered India’s "home ground" despite the fact that the team is playing all their matches there. He reminded everyone that India’s record in Dubai is a mixed one. While they triumphed in the 2018 Asia Cup in the UAE under his captaincy, they faced an early exit in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Rohit stressed that this unpredictability makes it harder to make decisions, like selecting the best-suited bowler between Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana for the semi-final.
“We don't know which pitch will be used for the semi-final, and that's the reality of playing in Dubai. We just have to adapt to the conditions we get on the day,” Rohit stated. He further reiterated, “This is not our home ground. We don’t play here regularly, so it’s a bit of a challenge for all teams, including us.”
In conclusion, Rohit’s statement is a reminder that while Dubai’s conditions may appear consistent, they are far from predictable, and all teams, including India, must adapt to the surfaces that are provided on match day.
