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India’s decision to play all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai was made before the tournament began, and any claims of it giving them an unfair edge are unfounded, said the team’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak. His remarks come as India gears up for the final clash against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
India remained unbeaten in their four matches leading up to the final, drawing criticism over their fixed venue while other teams had to travel between Pakistan and the UAE. However, Kotak firmly rejected the notion that India was given any special treatment.
“The draw that happened, it happened before,” Kotak told reporters, as quoted by Al Jazeera. “After India winning four matches, if people feel that there is an advantage, then I don’t know what to say about it.”
India’s participation in the eight-nation tournament was marred by political tensions with host Pakistan, leading to their matches being scheduled exclusively in Dubai. This created logistical challenges for other teams.
South African batsman David Miller, in a statement reported by news agencies, called the situation “not ideal,” as his team had to fly to Dubai to wait for India’s semifinal opponent before returning to Lahore in less than 24 hours. Even Pakistan, the nominal hosts, had to travel to Dubai to face India instead of playing them at home.
The difference in playing conditions has also been a talking point, with Pakistan’s pitches yielding high totals while Dubai’s slow and turning tracks presented different challenges. However, Kotak downplayed these concerns.
“End of the day, I think in a game you have to play good cricket every day when you turn up,” he said. “It is not that after coming here, they changed something, and we got an advantage.”
India topped Group A, securing victories over New Zealand, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, before defeating Australia in the semifinal. New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, lost their group match against India by 44 runs but secured a place in the final by beating South Africa in Lahore.
Despite their previous loss, New Zealand coach Gary Stead stated that his team is not overly concerned about India playing all their games in Dubai.
“I mean, look, the decision around that’s out of our hands,” Stead said, as reported by Al Jazeera. “So it’s not something we worry about too much. India have got to play all their games here in Dubai. But as you said, we have had a game here, and we’ll learn very quickly from that experience.”
Looking ahead to the final, Kotak emphasized that past results won’t impact the team’s mindset.
“We should just try and turn up and play a good game of cricket because there is no use thinking about the last match,” he said.
With the title clash set, the debate over India’s venue advantage continues, but both teams remain focused on delivering a competitive showdown.
