The former cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has dismissed the talks of India’s venue Advantage stating that the schedule of the Champions Trophy 2025 was set in advance.
He silenced the critics by stating that if India had lost the matches, no one would blamed the venue.
He reminded the critics that the Men in Blue’s matches are being held in Dubai due to security concerns in Pakistan and all parties agreed.
He further went on to slam the critics by saying that India’s exceptional balance is a real advantage they have in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
He pointed that India’s all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have been instrumental in the team’s success in the tournament.
He also lauded Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy saying other teams do not have such quality spinners, and that’s the major reason behind their struggle in the tournament.
Speaking in the media, Cheteshwar Pujara said, “I don’t think so. I don’t think it is an unfair advantage. I mean, if India had lost, no one would have said that India was playing in Dubai and that’s why they lost.”
“So, I don’t think it’s a home ground for the Indian team. The advantage for the Indian team is the kind of talent we have.”
“The number of all-rounders we have. We have four quality spinners. If you look at the other teams, they don’t even have two quality spinners. And that’s why they are struggling, whether they are playing in the UAE or even in Pakistan.”
Pujara continued to say that India would have easily dominated if they played in Pakistan as well. He lauded the squad’s depth, all-rounder talent and top order strength for their success in the Champions Trophy ahead of the finals.
“So, I don’t think that’s the right way to put it across. I think we have the best balance. We have better all-rounders than the other teams and we have Hardik, who is another all-rounder,” added the former batter.
“So, we have three all-rounders in the playing XI, and then you have the quality top-order in the batting lineup. So, it’s the balance of the team that is making India a successful team rather than the venue,” concluded Pujara.
India and New Zealand will clash once again in the finals of the Champions Trophy 2025 on March 09 at Dubai International Stadium.
