Lahore, March 10: Former Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram has weighed in on the ongoing debate regarding India’s Champions Trophy 2025 victory, dismissing claims that playing all their matches in Dubai gave them an unfair advantage. Akram asserted that India would have emerged victorious regardless of the venue, including if they had played in Pakistan.
The decision to have India play all their games at a neutral venue became a major talking point during the tournament, with several experts arguing that it provided the team with an edge.
However, speaking on the Dressing Room show on Sports Central, Akram dismissed such concerns, emphasizing India’s sheer dominance.
“This Indian team would have won it anywhere in the world. There was a lot of discussion when it was decided that India would play all their matches in Dubai. But had they played in Pakistan, they would have won there as well,” Akram remarked.
The former pacer highlighted India’s remarkable unbeaten run, pointing out that the team had also clinched the 2024 T20 World Cup without a single loss, proving their strength across formats.
“They won the 2024 T20 World Cup without losing a game, and now they have won the Champions Trophy without dropping a single match. That shows the depth in their cricket and the leadership that guided them,” he added.
India’s triumph in the Champions Trophy comes after a difficult phase in Test cricket, where they suffered a 0-3 series loss to New Zealand at home and a 1-3 defeat against Australia. Calls for a leadership change intensified, but the BCCI stood firm in backing captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir.Akram praised India for their steadfast approach, crediting the board’s decision for the team’s eventual success.
“If you remember, they lost 3-0 to New Zealand at home, lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and even the series in Sri Lanka. There was immense pressure to change the captain and coach. But sanity prevailed. The BCCI backed them, saying, ‘this is our captain, this is our coach,’ and now they are the champion of champions,” Akram said. (Agencies)
