The debate over India’s advantage in the 2025 Champions Trophy was sparked by former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, who first brought up the issue publicly. Their discussion gained traction after Pakistan’s interim coach Aaqib Javed briefly mentioned it following their group-stage loss to India in Dubai. The criticism has since been echoed by Australia’s injured skipper Pat Cummins and South African batter Rassie van der Dussen, who called the scheduling of the tournament “a huge advantage to India.”
In response, former Indian cricketers have dismissed these claims. Wasim Jaffer took a dig at the critics, sarcastically suggesting that India should have changed hotels in Dubai to stop people from complaining. Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar also weighed in, criticizing those who continue to “moan” instead of focusing on their own team’s shortcomings.
Taking a direct swipe at England, which was eliminated from the Champions Trophy after losses to Australia and Afghanistan, Gavaskar urged Hussain and Atherton to reflect on their own team’s performance instead of fixating on India. “I think these are all wise and experienced people. Why don’t you actually look at why your team has not qualified? That’s what I was going to ask you, sir. Rather than constantly focusing on India, are you even looking at your own backyard? Your players are in such a fragile mental state—they don’t seem to care about results as long as they meet certain expectations,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Gavaskar further emphasized the importance of caring about results and national representation. “You must care about results. You must care for your country, for any team you play for. If you are playing for your country, the responsibility is even greater. All the time, they are moaning—’India has got this, India has got that.’ It’s constant. We must just ignore it. Let them keep moaning. We have better things to focus on. That is the kind of attitude you must have.”
A major point of contention has been India playing all its matches in Dubai due to government restrictions preventing travel to Pakistan. Hussain, Atherton, and others argue that this gives India an unfair advantage, as other teams must adjust to different venues and conditions. However, Gavaskar pointed out that England played both their matches at the same venue (Lahore) before their final group-stage game in Karachi.
Additionally, teams like Australia and Afghanistan have also played two of their three group-stage matches at a single venue. He argued that singling out India for this was unreasonable, especially since the hybrid format was the only way to accommodate the tournament.
Highlighting India’s financial contributions to global cricket, Gavaskar reminded the former England captains of India’s impact on the sport’s economy. “As I said before, it’s not even worth commenting on. It really isn’t. They are always moaning. They just cannot seem to understand where India stands in international cricket—in terms of quality, income, talent, and, more importantly, in terms of generating revenue. India’s contribution to global cricket—through television rights and media revenue—plays a massive role. They need to understand that their salaries also come from what India brings to the world of cricket,” he added.
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