Team India qualified for the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy after back-to-back wins against Bangladesh and Pakistan. The Men in Blue face New Zealand in the final group match of the tournament, which simply will decide which team finishes at the top spot in Group A and faces the runner-up in Group B.
Champions Trophy 2025:
News |
Schedule |
Results |
Points Table
Australia have already qualified from Group B after their victory over England followed by back-to-back washouts, and are likely to be joined by South Africa – who currently are facing England in Karachi. Whether they face two-time winners Australia or inaugural champions South Africa, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team can expect a tough challenge in the semis.
According to former India wicketkeeper-batter, however, the Men in Blue will not be sweating over whom they will be facing in their semi-final clash in Dubai on Tuesday.
“Genuinely as a cricketer it does not matter to us as who is going to be our opponent. We as a team should focus on our form, strength and mood of the team, which is more important than who we are going to face or the pitches we are going to play on.
“It doesn’t matter much. Any team which is confident and in form would never think on those lines. They will concentrate on what we are going to do to win the game,” Uthappa said on the sidelines of the launch of the book Life Lessons From Cricket in Dubai. The book has been authored by senior journalist Vimal Kumar and Ashish Ambasta.
‘Definitely an advantage of familiarity’: Uthappa
Uthappa also commented on the factor of India having the advantage of playing all of their matches in Dubai in the Champions Trophy – a luxury that no other team has had in the ninth edition of the ‘Mini World Cup’. The former Kolkata Knight Riders opener admitted that India “definitely had the advantage of familiarity” in the tournament.
“I will not say it’s a home advantage but there is definitely an advantage of familiarity. I heard an interview where former India opener Wasim Jaffer was saying that there could have been one match in Abu Dhabi, one in Dubai and one in Sharjah, and definitely that could have been done so that other teams couldn’t find a reason to complain.”
VIDEO | Former India batter Robin Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) says, “I won’t call it a home advantage, but there is definitely a familiarity advantage. I was listening to an interview yesterday. If I am not mistaken, Wasim Jaffer was saying that if he was going to play in Dubai, he… pic.twitter.com/mmRKmIvT1o
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 1, 2025
The former Karnataka cricketer, however, defended the BCCI’s decision to not send the Indian team to Pakistan while adding that the Indian batters would have been posting even bigger scores had they been playing on Pakistani surfaces.
Also Read |
India’s Dubai advantage raises questions as New Zealand and South Africa react
“However, we must ask why didn’t we go to Pakistan? Because of the geo-political situation. And each country has their right to decide if they don’t want to travel to a particular nation. And for that, if one country ends up playing in one venue then so be it.
“India could have complained that had they played on flat Pakistani pitches, their record could have been nicer. Each batsman would have got an opportunity to score(heavily). You may say whatever, but at the end of the day, cricket is a contest between bat and ball and the team which plays well on that day wins. And those who complain, you can sense their mental state. It becomes so obvious,” added the 39-year-old.
Former India coach Lalchand Rajput, who had coached the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning Indian team that Uthappa was part of, shared similar views when it came to India’s Dubai advantage as well as on Pakistani surfaces.
“See, there is definitely an advantage as one team is playing all matches in one venue. But if you look closely, Pakistani pitches are flat while Dubai is on the slower side and it will take some effort to get used to these conditions quickly,” said the former Mumbai cricketer.
‘Nothing called an inconsequential game’: Rajput
Rajput also disagreed with the notion that India’s upcoming Group A clash against the Black Caps at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium was an “inconsequential game”, stating that it was important for Rohit and Co to maintain momentum heading into the Champions Trophy knockouts.
Also Read |
Rahul, ten Doeschate on possibility of India making changes for NZ match
“See that for a coach, there is nothing called an inconsequential game as you want your team to win every match and want to play your best players unless there is an injury or workload management. When you are having a good run, it’s important to maintain the momentum. Sometimes when you qualify and make changes, and if we lose, then in the next game there is the same kind of pattern (like lack of rhythm), and hence when you are having a good time, we have to finish, we should always be on top,” Rajput added.
VIDEO | Here’s what former Indian cricket team’s coach Lalchand Rajput said when asked about Virat Kohli:
“To be very honest, when I first met him, I said that he is the one guy who will break Sachin Tendulkar’s record. And he is very close to that. But still, he has the same… pic.twitter.com/xHNhLUwdBD
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 1, 2025
The upcoming match between India and New Zealand will be batting superstar
Virat Kohli’s 300th appearance in One-Day Internationals. Reflecting on his incredible journey with the Indian team that began in 2008, Rajput described the former India captain as someone who still had the “same hunger and passion” as he did in his initial years.
Also Read |
Why Virat Kohli is the first name confirmed for the 2027 World Cup
“To be very honest, I had predicted very early that he would break Sachin Tendulkar’s record. He still has got the same hunger and passion and 300 is a lot of games. He is still so fit and every run is so important for him and he values his wicket. He does’ want to throw his wicket. That is why he is number 1.”
Rohit keeps the dressing room ‘very, very happy’: Rajput
And on Rohit’s leadership skills, Rajput described the 37-year-old as someone who not only keeps the dressing room “very, very happy” but is also a “friend, philosopher, and guide for many players”.
“As a captain he is the best so far with young players. He keeps the dressing room very, very happy. Because he allows the batsmen to perform well and doesn’t put any pressure, and he is a jolly mood fellow. He keeps the mood very light and that is what you saw in West Indies when India won the T20 World Cup.
“Apart from the captain, he is also a friend, philosopher, and guide for many players. So, I think this CT will be another feather in his cap. And the way India has played so far, I do believe that there is another global trophy India can win,” Rajput.
The Group A clash between India and New Zealand takes place on Sunday, 2 March and will get underway at 2.30 pm IST (1 pm local time).