Pakistan officially hosts the ICC Champions Trophy, but all of Team India’s matches are held in Dubai, giving them a distinct advantage. Unlike other teams that must travel across multiple venues, India stays in one location, allowing better preparation for conditions and more focused player selection. Former England players Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain highlighted that India’s consistent presence in Dubai, where they can adapt their strategy and team composition specifically for the venue, creates a ‘home advantage’. With no travel hassles and familiarity with the pitch, India is well-positioned for success in the tournament, regardless of being the away team.
Though Pakistan is officially hosting the ICC Champions Trophy, Team India’s matches are exclusively being played in Dubai. As the Indian team advances to the semi-finals and potentially the final, Dubai will remain the sole venue for Rohit Sharma’s squad. In contrast, other teams are competing across five different venues, including the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Despite Pakistan being the ‘hosts’, former England legends Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain believe that the Indian team is experiencing a ‘home advantage’.
“What about the advantage India has in playing in Dubai, only in Dubai? It seems to me to be a hard-to-quantify advantage, but an undeniable one,” remarked Michael Atherton during a conversation with Nasser Hussain on the Sky Sports Podcast.
“They are playing at just one venue. They don’t have to travel between venues or, you know, between countries, unlike many other teams.”
Atherton believes that the fact all of India’s matches are set in Dubai provides the team management with an upper hand when it comes to player selection.
“Thus, the selection can concentrate on the conditions in Dubai. Obviously, they’ll know where they are playing their semi-final as soon as they qualify. That appears to be an undeniable advantage, albeit challenging to quantify how significant it is,” he added.
Nasser Hussain also agrees with the idea that ‘Pakistan is the host nation, but India enjoys a home advantage,’ particularly in light of the format established for the Champions Trophy 2025.
The former England captain further emphasized the Dubai factor as an advantage, praising the team composition tailored for the venue.
“It is indeed an advantage. The best team in the tournament has that edge. I came across a tweet the other day saying ‘Pakistan host nation, India home advantage.’ That really sums it up,” he expressed.
“They are situated in one place, one hotel, with no need to travel. They have one dressing room, know the pitch, and have selected players accordingly.”
“Their selection was quite astute. They likely anticipated the conditions in Dubai and chose all their spinners. There was some discussion in the Indian media about why they did not opt for an additional seamer. Now we can understand their reasoning.”
“For example, other teams like England, if they reach the semi-finals, have only one spinner (Rehan Ahmed replaced Brydon Carse), and Pakistan has one frontline spinner. One could argue they should have adapted their selection when injuries struck, and I have made that point.”
“Other teams will need to adjust their playing XIs for varying conditions in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, and then travel and acclimatize to those environments.”
“So it is an advantage, but what alternative could there have been? Once India declined to travel to Pakistan, what would have happened? A tournament like this cannot proceed without India-Pakistan matches; it had to be in Dubai.”
“They are comfortably settled there, knowing they will play six games. If they win all of those, they will secure another global title,” he concluded.
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