The Indian cricket team will be facing New Zealand in the finals of the Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday in Dubai and before the most important match of the tournament, the Indian batting coach also decided to break silence on the matter of India getting undue advantage by playing only in Dubai.
India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has straightaway rejected the notion that the team holds any advantage in the 2025 Champions Trophy by playing all their matches at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Addressing concerns raised by players, analysts, former cricketers and staff from other teams who have had to shuttle between Pakistan and Dubai, Sitanshu Kotak maintained that India’s success has been based on their performance rather than any external factors.
Responding to the ongoing debate, Sitanshu Kotak expressed confusion over the idea that India’s victories were a result of venue familiarity. He emphasised that the team simply played the matches as scheduled and questioned the logic behind attributing their success to an advantage rather than recognising their efforts on the field. According to him, cricket is about playing well on the given day, and if a team performs poorly, there is no justification in complaining about conditions.
While Indian pacer Mohammed Shami had earlier admitted that the team enjoyed a certain level of comfort with the conditions, both Sitanshu Kotak and the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma have dismissed the idea that it gave them an edge over their competitors. With the final against New Zealand approaching fast, Sitanshu Kotak reinforced the belief that victory in a tournament depends on consistency and execution rather than the venue where the matches are played.
Why do the venue, stadium and pitch become a matter of great concern when it comes to team India and everyone keeps a mum at the time of other nations or teams? Well, it seems no one can easily digest India’s success. What do you have to say in this regard?
