Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, took a jab at Rohit Sharma and the Indian team, claiming they'll snag the Champions Trophy “at their new home venue.” The final showdown of this eight-team tournament is set for Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, featuring India and New Zealand. As the big match approaches, there's been a lot of chatter about whether India has a major edge.

Former cricketers like Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, and Vivian Richards have weighed in, noting that India has been based in one location and knows the pitch conditions inside and out. They’re the only team that has played all their matches at a single venue.

While the Indian squad has dismissed the idea of any 'advantage,' the criticism keeps piling up. After New Zealand knocked out South Africa in the second semi-final, David Miller from the South African team expressed his support for the Kiwis.

On Saturday, when an X (formerly Twitter) user asked Vaughan for his prediction for the Champions Trophy 2025 final, he couldn’t resist taking a little dig at the Indian team. "India will win at their new home venue," he replied.

India will win at there new home venue https://t.co/F4Xua91eqa

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 8, 2025

What's the deal with advantage talk?

The hybrid format for the Champions Trophy 2025, where India played all their games in Dubai, has faced a lot of criticism from players and analysts alike.

South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen pointed out that sticking to one location without traveling gives a clear edge.

After the group stage, both Australia and South Africa made their way to Dubai from Pakistan to gear up for a possible semi-final against India. But following India's victory over New Zealand, the South African team headed back to Lahore.

"If you can stay in one spot, use the same training facilities, and play on the same pitches, it’s definitely a leg up," he mentioned to the press.

On the flip side, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak brushed off the criticism, stating their team has simply followed the schedule. Gambhir even called the critics "perpetual cribbers" who need to mature.

Kotak added that he doesn’t get the negativity, especially since his team has won four matches convincingly to reach the final.

"I don’t see what advantage there is or what we’ve gained. The draw was set ages ago. If India has won four matches, why are people claiming we have an advantage?" Kotak said to reporters in Dubai.

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