Team India Update: A number of past England captains, Pakistan’s acting head coach, Australia’s permanent captain, and a prominent South African batsman have all noted that India hold an advantage over everyone else in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, as they have played all of their group matches at the Dubai International Stadium.
Yet New Zealand, who play India in their last group game on Sunday (March 2), aren’t fazed by it. Kiwi all-rounder Michael Bracewell explained that his side is more enthusiastic than apprehensive at the prospect of adjusting to changed conditions.
When asked about India playing every game at the same venue while other teams have been shuffling between Pakistan and Dubai, Bracewell responded “Look, it is what it is. It’s been decided, and that’s the way it is, and there’s no point dwelling on that,” he said. “It’s part of what makes it exciting. I personally think it’s coming to a different ground and trying to figure out those different conditions. Yeah, not much more to say on that other than we’re excited to try and learn and play in different conditions.”
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Team India’s Journey So Far
Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, has opted for Dubai as their home for the tournament, citing security reasons that prompted them to refuse traveling to Pakistan. New Zealand, on the other hand, will be playing their first game in Dubai, having already played their previous games in Pakistan, where they won convincingly against both Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami train ahead of the crucial #ChampionsTrophy clash against New Zealand 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/TaDy64s1st
— ICC (@ICC) February 28, 2025
Bracewell also stated “The wickets here have looked like they’ve taken a bit of a spin,” he said. “So, it’ll be good to try and get used to the wickets as quickly as we can.” Nonetheless, he expressed confidence in his team’s ability to adapt to different playing conditions. “We’ve obviously enjoyed the pitches in Pakistan. And I think we’ve got a pretty well-balanced side to play in any condition. So hopefully, we can continue to do that and adjust to what’s in front of us.”
New Zealand Has Upper Hand Against India
Bracewell referred to New Zealand’s good record against India in ICC tournaments as the reason for his hope when the two teams meet. Following their recent 3-0 Test series win over India in India, Bracewell feels that this victory will be a confidence booster for the team before Sunday’s crucial encounter. “Coming off such a great Test series win, it gives us plenty of confidence. We’ve also had a solid record against India in ICC events,” he said. “We just focus on playing our style of cricket, and it’s been a good match-up so far.”
