The hype around the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final between India and New Zealand is hitting the ceiling with just two days remaining to the title clash which is scheduled to be played on March 9 at the Dubai International cricket stadium. Rohit Sharma's India enter the summit clash with an unbeaten record in the Champions Trophy 2025, while New Zealand's sole defeat came at the hands of their upcoming opponents. Despite India's impressive performance, the team's path to the final has been blemished by ongoing chatter around their undue advantage at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India's batting coach plays down India's undue advantage in Champions Trophy
The fact that India played all their matches at this single location, unlike other teams that had to travel, has fueled claims of an 'undue advantage'. However, India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, has finally addressed these concerns on March 7 while speaking with the reporters. He apparently played down the claim of India's venue advantage by stressing that the conditions in Dubai were not altered or manipulated after the Champions Trophy draw was established. His point was that the venue was known to all teams from the start.
"I don't understand what advantage there is and what advantage we have gotten. There is nothing about the advantage. The draw was decided a long time ago. When India have won four matches, then people are thinking we have been given an advantage," Kotak said.
"I don't know how to respond to this. At the end of the day, you have to play good cricket. If you don't play well, you can't complain. If you play well, there is no point saying there was some advantage. We are practicing here, we are playing matches there. Obviously, different wickets. That is how the draw is. Nothing else can be done. It's not like conditions were changed after coming here," he further added.
He then offered a straightforward perspective on the matter of venue advantage. He said that the teams that have failed to perform to the required standard are now resorting to complaints about external factors, such as the venue.
"The tournament's draw is like this from the start. So, nothing has changed. If people think all this after us reaching the final, that's tough, man. That is how the game goes; we have played as per the draw. There is no advantage. You have to play good cricket to win," Kotak stated.
Kotak then reinforcing the observations made by head coach Gautam Gambhir between the training pitches and the actual playing surface at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS).
"We obviously practice on different wickets. We are playing matches on a bit of different pitches. We all know that. So, the only thing is that we played here. But that is how the draw is. So, nothing else can happen in that.
"It is not that after coming here, they changed something and got an advantage," he concluded.
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