Former England cricketers Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain assert that India holds a distinct advantage over other teams in the Champions Trophy due to the fact that they will be playing all their matches at a single venue, unlike the other seven teams that will be traveling. The Indian cricket team, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, is set to compete exclusively at the Dubai International Stadium, as they were unable to secure permission to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Consequently, the ICC opted for a hybrid model for the tournament, allowing India to play in the UAE while the other teams compete in Pakistan. This arrangement necessitates that any team facing India must travel to Dubai, adding to the logistical challenges faced by those teams.

Atherton believes that this situation presents a significant advantage for the Indian team, who are aiming for their second consecutive ICC title. Notably, India will also play their semifinal and, if they qualify, the final in Dubai. The benefits of remaining in the same city, without the need for travel, and competing under consistent conditions are considerable.

Atherton remarked, "What about the advantage India has in playing solely in Dubai? It appears to be a challenging advantage to quantify, yet it is undeniably significant. They are competing at just one venue and do not have to travel between different venues or countries, as many other teams must." He further noted, "As a result, their selection can be tailored to the conditions in Dubai, and they will be aware of their semifinal location as they progress. This, in my view, is an undeniable advantage, although it is somewhat difficult to measure the extent of that advantage."

Nasser Hussain echoes Michael Atherton

Hussain concurs with Atherton regarding the notion that by the time India concludes all their Group A matches and progresses to the knockout stage, they will be more accustomed to the local conditions than any other team. This is particularly relevant for the semi-final, where India's opponent will be a team from Group B that will arrive in Dubai without having played any matches in the Champions Trophy 2025 at that venue.

"It is indeed an advantage. The top team in the tournament benefits from this situation. I recently came across a tweet stating, 'Pakistan is the host nation, India has the home advantage.' This encapsulates the situation perfectly. They are situated in one location, staying in one hotel, and do not need to travel. They have a single dressing room and are familiar with the pitch they have selected," remarked the former England captain.

"They demonstrated astuteness in their selection process. They likely anticipated the conditions in Dubai and opted for a squad rich in spinners. There was some discussion in the Indian media questioning the absence of an additional seamer. Now, it is evident why they chose to focus on spinners."

Concerns were raised regarding captain Rohit, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and BCCI chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar for including five spinners in the squad. However, this decision has proven to be highly effective, as evidenced by the match against Pakistan, where the trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja collectively took five wickets. Hussain notes that having a spin-dominant squad is not a luxury many teams possess.

"For instance, other teams like England, should they reach the semi-finals, will have only one spinner (Rehan Ahmed has been added as a replacement for Brydon Carse), while Pakistan has just one frontline spinner. One could argue that they should have made adjustments in light of injuries, and I have made that point," he stated.

Other teams will need to select their playing elevens based on the varying conditions in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, and subsequently, they must travel and adapt to these environments. This presents a competitive edge; however, one must consider the implications of India's withdrawal from participating in Pakistan. The absence of India in such a tournament is significant, as it cannot be effectively conducted without the India-Pakistan rivalry. Therefore, hosting it in Dubai became a necessary decision.

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