Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly thinks that Rohit Sharma and his team haven't been given any special edge in the ongoing ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025. India is set to face New Zealand in the final of the eight-team tournament at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium this Sunday, and there's been a lot of talk about how familiar India is with the playing conditions leading up to the big match.

While India has won four straight games to make it to the final, some analysts argue that they had an advantage since they played all their matches at one venue without traveling around.

A few experts have pointed out that India had a great opportunity to select players suited for the slow pitches in Dubai, given their understanding of how the surfaces would behave. Notable figures like Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Vivian Richards, David Miller, and Rassie van der Dussen have all commented on India's potential edge.

However, as the final approaches, Ganguly clarified that India didn't choose to play all their matches in Dubai; it was simply how things turned out. He also mentioned that players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Shubman Gill missed the chance to play on the flatter pitches in Pakistan.

What's the deal? I don't think India chose to play all their matches in Dubai by choice. It's because they can't go to Pakistan, thanks to the Indian government's restrictions. So, it's not really up to India. That's just how it is. I remember when I was the BCCI President back in 2020, we decided to give the Champions Trophy to Pakistan, Ganguly mentioned at the Tata Steel Trailblazers sports conclave hosted by RevSportz.

He continued, saying, "I was also involved in assigning all the World Cups up to 2031. India will host the 2026 World Cup, the 2029 Champions Trophy, and then the 2031 World Cup again. So, this isn't something India has done on its own. It's just that traveling to Pakistan isn't an option. I can tell you that players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kale Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer must be disappointed they can't bat on those pitches in Lahore and Karachi where teams are scoring 350," he added.

Going on, he said, "Teams are putting up scores of 350. Australia hit 350, England did the same, and Australia chased it down. New Zealand even scored 360. But look at the scores in Dubai—240, 250. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Shubman Gill are probably thinking, 'Why can't we have those kinds of wickets in Dubai? I could easily get three or four hundreds.' Honestly, India is missing out on those flat pitches that are available in Pakistan."

‘India is losing out’

Sourav Ganguly talked about how India managed to win all their matches in the 2023 ODI World Cup, except for the final, while traveling to nine different cities. He also mentioned the tough schedule for the 2024 T20 World Cup, where India traveled to eight cities and still came out on top.

"India is really missing out. They won in their home country, visiting nine cities, and then they went to the West Indies, hitting up eight cities to clinch the T20 World Cup. So, I don’t think it has anything to do with India being based in Dubai. It’s just how things are," Ganguly explained.

"England doesn’t go to Zimbabwe. I remember back in the 2003 World Cup when I was captain, India had Zimbabwe in their group, and so did England. They gave up points because they refused to go there. Every country has its own approach, and I don’t think it’s the Indian cricket team or the board’s fault for not going to Pakistan," he added.

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