West Indies cricket great Andy Roberts has criticized India for playing all their matches in the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai. India clinched the title by defeating New Zealand by four wickets. Although the tournament was officially hosted in Pakistan, India played every game in Dubai because the BCCI stated that the Indian government denied permission for their team to travel to Pakistan.

This created a scenario where, while other teams had to move between three venues in Pakistan and Dubai for their matches against India, Rohit Sharma's squad was the only one that didn’t have to deal with travel hassles. While Rohit and head coach Gautam Gambhir dismissed suggestions of an unfair advantage, fast bowler Mohammed Shami acknowledged that playing all their matches at a single venue was beneficial for them.

“Something’s got to give… India can’t have it all. The ICC [International Cricket Council] needs to say no to India sometimes. India even had an edge at last year’s T20 World Cup, knowing in advance where their semi-final would be held [in Guyana]," Roberts was quoted as saying by the Mid-Day. “At the Champions Trophy, India didn’t have to travel at all. How can a team avoid travel during a tournament?” Roberts questioned, as India aimed for their third Champions Trophy title on Sunday.

“It’s not fair, it’s not cricket. There should be a level playing field. I understand a lot of money comes from India, but cricket shouldn’t be a one-country sport. It’s starting to feel like a one-nation competition, and the playing field is definitely not even.”

The ICC represents the Indian Cricket Board

Roberts pointed out that the ICC has let India have so much influence that they might even change fundamental game rules if India asks for it. “Honestly, the ICC feels like it’s just the Indian Cricket Board. India calls all the shots. If tomorrow India says, ‘there shouldn’t be any no-balls or wides,’ trust me, the ICC will figure out a way to make that happen,” Roberts remarked.

Rohit previously mentioned that India, like any other team, needs time to adjust to the conditions in Dubai. "It's not like we have a crystal ball for what’s going to happen on these pitches," Rohit said before the semi-final against Australia. "We don’t even know which pitch will be used in the semi-final, but we’ll have to adapt and see how it plays out. Plus, this isn’t our home ground - it’s Dubai. We don’t play here often, so it’s new for us too."

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