Sourav Ganguly jumps in as Team India’s unfair advantage debate intensifies
As India advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy, debates arose over whether Rohit Sharma’s team had an unfair advantage by playing all their matches at a single venue in Dubai. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly dismissed these claims, asserting that India would have scored even more runs if they had played in Pakistan.
The controversy was fueled by England cricketing legends Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton, who criticized the scheduling, arguing that while India played all their games in Dubai, other teams had to travel between Pakistan and the UAE. Current players like England skipper Jos Buttler and South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen echoed similar concerns.
Due to political and security concerns, the Indian government did not permit the team to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. As a result, the BCCI proposed a hybrid model, leading to Dubai being chosen as the neutral venue for India’s matches.
During a CAB event, Ganguly responded sharply to the claim, stating, “The pitches in Pakistan offer better conditions. India would have put up an even bigger total there.”
Ganguly’s response aligned with statistics. In the seven games played across Pakistan’s three host cities—Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi—teams averaged 34.96 runs per wicket, with eight centuries and 17 half-centuries. Two of those centuries now rank among the highest individual scores in Champions Trophy history. Additionally, teams managed scores above 300 in six out of 14 innings.
In contrast, Dubai proved to be a more challenging venue, with teams averaging just 28 runs per wicket across three matches. Only three centuries were recorded, and India’s total of 249 against New Zealand remained the highest across six innings played at the venue.
