With India playing all their games in Dubai while other teams shuttle between multiple venues, the Champions Trophy 2025 has sparked debates over scheduling advantages.
When the Champions Trophy was awarded to Pakistan, the first ICC event to be hosted by the country in 29 years, there was excitement about the return of a major tournament to a cricket-loving nation that had been deprived due to security concerns. While it was massive news for the PCB, all eyes immediately turned towards India, who have yet to travel to the country since the 2008 Asia Cup. While Pakistan have toured India to play ICC events recently, including for the 2023 ODI World Cup, it remained to be seen whether the neighbours returned the favour.
Read more: India vs Pakistan: It's time to admit 'The Greatest Rivalry' has become a glorified mismatch
It was not to be, with India's refusal to travel due to political tensions forcing the PCB to adopt a hybrid model instead. Instead of playing in Pakistan, India have been stationed in Dubai for all their group-stage matches, with other teams in the group having to crisscross between venues in Pakistan and the UAE to complete their matches.
Cricket tournaments are often as much about scheduling and logistics as they are about skill and performance. A well-planned itinerary can allow teams to settle in, adapt to conditions, and play their best cricket, while a chaotic travel schedule can add layers of complexity that go beyond just on-field battles. The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, officially hosted by Pakistan, has already brought these dynamics into sharp focus.
There are certain undeniable advantages for India
India’s games in Dubai, where the wickets are relatively slow and low, has allowed them to tailor their squad specifically for dry surfaces of Dubai, with as many as five spinners included in their lineup. No other team had the luxury of selecting a squad so finely tuned to one set of conditions, with the other three venues, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi all throwing up slightly different challenges.
Teams like New Zealand are also playing their matches in Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Dubai in the tournament, adjusting to vastly different pitches with little time for acclimatisation. Even Pakistan, despite being the official hosts, were forced to travel to Dubai to play India, an encounter they lost, which ultimately cost them a place in the semi-finals.
Former England captain Mike Atherton had pointed out the advantages for India, stating, “They’re playing at just one venue. They don’t have to travel either between venues or, you know, between countries, as a lot of other teams have to do. Therefore, the selection can focus on the conditions in Dubai. And obviously, they’ll know where they’re playing their semi-final as and when they get through to that. That seems to me to be an undeniable advantage, but, you know, kind of hard to quantify how big an advantage."
The semi-final schedule leaves Group B in a lurch
Where the scheduling impact becomes even more pronounced is in the semi-finals. The two semis will be played on March 4 and March 5, with the first being held in Dubai and the second in Lahore. India will be playing the first semi-final, irrespective of where they finish in the group. If they lose to New Zealand, they will end the group as A2 and will take on the team that ends at the top spot in the other group. If they top their group, India will take on B2.
While New Zealand will be playing their semi-final in Lahore, the issue intensifies for both Australia and South Africa, who will need to wait till after the India-New Zealand clash on Sunday to know the venue of their semis clash around 36 hours before the game is set to begin.
Neither team has played in Dubai in the group stage, which has forced them to fly down to the city on Saturday night to practice and get accustomed to the conditions on offer. However, with India and New Zealand playing at the 'Ring of Fire' on Sunday, they will have minimal time to get a feel of the ground conditions. One of the two teams will then fly back to Lahore after their semi-final venue has been confirmed.
The ICC had a solution to avoid this – why not implement it?
The final will also follow a similar pattern, with the summit clash being held in Dubai if India play, else it will be scheduled for Lahore. This also means that there is a likelihood that either Australia or South Africa will play the finals in Dubai without having played a game at the venue in the tournament, while India would have had adequate practice.
Could there have been a solution to avoid this? Considering the short turnaround in the Champions Trophy, the ICC could have followed the seeding system from the 2024 T20 World Cup, where India were pre-designated to play their semi-final in Guyana, ensuring they got a prime-time television slot in India. Most importantly, it was pre-decided that they would finish as A1 from the group even if they finished second in reality. While this was criticised then, there are different factors - mostly political - at play in the Champions Trophy.
Also read: Why New Zealand are best-placed to counter India's middle-overs mastery
It could have been the solution this time around, which would have allowed teams from Group B to know the semis venue in advance instead of having to hop-skip-and-jump from country to country. It would not be a perfect one to India's refusal to play in Pakistan, but might have provided some sort of compromise in what remains an uncomfortable situation.
While India’s UAE stay was inevitable due to political reasons, the way the tournament has been structured gives them a settled base while putting additional pressure on other teams. In elite-level cricket, every minor advantage matters, and the ability to prepare with certainty can make a significant difference in high-stakes encounters.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
