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As the cricketing world gears up for the highly anticipated semi-final clash between India and Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma finds himself at the center of a heated debate. Critics have alleged that India gained an “unfair advantage” by playing all their Group A matches in Dubai. However, Rohit has firmly dismissed these claims, providing a nuanced perspective on the challenges his team faced.
The India Dubai controversy: Familiarity or favoritism?
India’s dominant performance in the group stage—victories over Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand—has sparked criticism from former players and pundits. Prominent voices like Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton argued that staying in Dubai throughout the tournament allowed India to acclimatize better to the conditions, thus giving them an edge over other teams. Former Pakistan cricketers echoed similar sentiments, accusing the ICC of favouritism.
Hussain summed up the sentiment on Sky Sports podacast by saying, “It is an advantage. So, the best team in the tournament have that advantage. And I saw a tweet the other day saying ‘Pakistan host nation, India home advantage.’ It sums it up really”.
Rohit Sharma’s response over the issue
Rohit has been quick to refute these allegations, emphasizing that Dubai is not India’s home venue. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the semi-final against Australia, he highlighted the unpredictability of the pitches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“Every time, the pitch is giving you different challenges. The three matches that we played here, the pitch has behaved differently. This is not our home; this is Dubai. We don’t play so many matches here, and this is new for us too,” Rohit explained.
The Indian captain also pointed out that even though the surface’s nature remained consistent, it posed unique challenges in each game. For instance, during their match against New Zealand, bowlers experienced swing—a condition absent in previous games. Such variability, Rohit argued, negates any perceived advantage.
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The adaptation factor in Dubai
Rohit further stressed that success in international cricket hinges on adaptability rather than familiarity. He acknowledged that while playing all matches at one venue eliminates travel-related disruptions, it does not guarantee victory.
“There are four or five surfaces being used here. I don’t know which pitch will be used in the semi-final. Whatever happens, we will have to adapt and see what is happening,” he added.
India’s ability to adapt quickly has been a hallmark of their campaign so far. The team demonstrated resilience and tactical flexibility across different matches, whether facing spin-friendly conditions or swing-friendly pitches.
Critics’ perspective: The strategic edge
Despite Rohit’s assertions, critics remain unconvinced. They argue that staying at one venue allows a team to build strategies tailored to specific conditions without worrying about travel fatigue or adjusting to new environments. This has led to comparisons with other teams who had to shuttle between venues across Pakistan and Dubai during the tournament.
Even India’s loss to Pakistan earlier in the tournament—despite playing in Dubai—has not quelled these concerns entirely. Critics believe that India’s seamless run into the semi-finals underscores their perceived advantage.
“About the advantage India have in playing in Dubai, only in Dubai, which seems to me to be a hard-to-quantify advantage but an undeniable advantage…They are playing at just one venue. They do not have to travel between venues or, you know, between countries as a lot of other teams have to do,” Atherton said in the podcast with Hussain.
While debates about venue advantages are not new in cricket, it is essential to recognize that success at this level requires more than just favourable conditions. India’s performances have been powered by stellar individual contributions and cohesive team efforts. Rohit himself has been in sublime form with the bat and as a leader, guiding his team with clarity and confidence.
Moreover, as Rohit rightly pointed out, no amount of familiarity can substitute for adaptability and execution on match day. “At the end of the day, you have to play good cricket to win,” he concluded.
