For Pakistan, the primary objective will be to secure a victory against India in their Champions Trophy 2025 match scheduled for Sunday in Dubai. Following a defeat in their opening match against New Zealand, Mohammad Rizwan and his team find themselves at the bottom of Group A, facing the prospect of elimination. Conversely, India commenced their tournament with a win over Bangladesh and currently occupies the second position in Group A.

Due to ongoing political tensions, India has not traveled to Pakistan for the tournament; however, all matches are being held in Dubai. Many fans have noted that despite being the host nation, Pakistan must travel to Dubai for this fixture, leading to sentiments that India may have a home advantage, having already played a match in the venue.

Aaqib Javed warns India

Aaqib Javed, the head coach of Pakistan, has dismissed this notion, asserting that his team possesses a slight edge, given that their home fixtures were held in the UAE from 2009 to 2019.

In a pre-match press conference, he stated, “There is no advantage for India whatsoever, as all Pakistani players have been participating in leagues here. The PSL has been conducted in this region, so there is no clear advantage or disadvantage.”

He further emphasized the importance of adapting to the pitch and ground conditions, noting, “We need to assess whether these conditions resemble those in Pakistan or differ. Our strategy will be tailored to the pitches, the prevailing conditions, and the opposing team.”

As the highly anticipated clash approaches, the former player remarked, “In a match between Pakistan and India, the energy will be palpable. This is the essence of the rivalry. The crowd plays a significant role; when you perform well, they cheer, and when you falter, they may turn against you, regardless of whether it is India or Pakistan. As players, it is crucial not to be influenced by the crowd. Our focus should remain solely on the ball and bat.”

Pakistan holds a 73-57 advantage over India in their head-to-head encounters, with five matches resulting in no outcome. However, in their last six One Day Internationals since 2018, Pakistan has suffered defeats in all contests. Historically, the two teams have faced each other five times in the tournament, beginning in 2004, with their most recent meeting occurring in the 2017 final, where Pakistan emerged victorious by 180 runs. In the Champions Trophy, India trails Pakistan with a record of 2-3.

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