India's Advantage in ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Expert Insights

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As the Indian team marched on to the semi-finals, many cricketers, former cricketers, and commentators were not happy with India’s team having the advantage of playing at the same venue while other teams had to travel.

Here are some of the statements made by Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, and Pat Cummins regarding India’s advantage in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:

Nasser Hussain

Nasser Hussain pointed out that having all the matches at one venue gives India a special advantage. He stressed that remaining in one location without the necessity of traveling enables the team to get used to the pitch and conditions, which they can use for strategic gain.

“It is an advantage. For the best team in the tournament to have that advantage…I saw a tweet the other day: Pakistan – host nation, India – home advantage. That sort of sums it up, really.”
“They are [India] in one place. They are in one hotel. There is no travel. They are in one dressing room. They know the pitch. They picked for that pitch. When they selected, they were very smart. They probably knew what Dubai was going to be like. They picked all their seamers. There was a bit of debate from Indian media saying, ‘Why have not you gone for the extra seamer? Why all these spinners?’ We have seen why.”

Michael Atherton

Michael Atherton shared similar views, noting that India playing all their matches in Dubai removes the travel fatigue experienced by other teams. He noted that India’s fixed venue allows them to prepare their selection and plans specifically for Dubai conditions, which undoubtedly favors the team.

“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. Therefore, the selection can focus on Dubai, you know, can focus in on the conditions in Dubai, where they are playing their semi-final as and when they get through to that. That seems to me an undeniable advantage.”

Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins said that though the setup makes the tournament run smoothly, it certainly gives India an advantage. He said that having all their matches on the same ground strengthens India and enables them to take advantage of their familiarity with the venue.

“I think it’s good in that the tournament can go on, but obviously it does give them (India) a huge advantage playing on the same ground. They already look very strong and they’ve got that obvious benefit of playing all their games there.”

Aakash Chopra (Cricket Commentator)

Aakash Chopra admitted that India’s fixed venue provides a significant edge over other teams moving from different venues. He said India has realized and adjusted well to the conditions of the pitch in Dubai, leveraging the absence of travel and exposure to the ground.

“It’s a good question. There is an advantage for sure. There is no shame in admitting the truth. There is a slight problem for the other teams as they are playing in three different venues, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore, and they have to come to Dubai at times. India are playing on just one ground. They have understood that pitch very well. We cannot get the pitch prepared, it’s not the home team’s ground, but we are benefitting. This is not something we can hide. There is no doubt that India have a slight advantage.”

Cricket Journalists

“Champions Trophy has been called a farce by a journalist while Atherton and Hussain pointed out India’s Dubai advantage.”

These statements highlight India’s perceived advantage by playing all of its matches in Dubai, avoiding travel fatigue, and being able to tailor its team selection to the conditions at a single venue.