Sat Mar 08 10:57:29 UTC 2025: ## India’s Winning Streak in Champions Trophy Sparks Venue Controversy
**Dubai, UAE** – India’s dominance in the Champions Trophy has sparked debate over the team’s exclusive use of the Dubai International Stadium. India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, vehemently rejected claims that the venue provided an unfair advantage, emphasizing that the tournament draw, which placed all of India’s matches in Dubai, was determined before the competition began.
India’s decision not to tour Pakistan due to political tensions resulted in the UAE venue assignment. This scheduling, however, created logistical challenges for other teams. South Africa’s David Miller highlighted the difficulties of traveling to and from the UAE on short notice to accommodate India’s matches. Even Pakistan, the nominal host, was forced to play against India in Dubai rather than on home soil. The differing pitch conditions between Pakistan and Dubai further fueled the controversy, with Pakistani pitches yielding high scores in contrast to the slower, turning wickets in Dubai.
Kotak insisted that India’s success was solely due to their consistent strong performances. He dismissed criticism, stating, “End of the day, you have to play good cricket…It is not that after coming here, they changed something, and we got an advantage.”
India, undefeated in Dubai throughout the tournament, topped their group and defeated Australia in the semi-final. They now face New Zealand in the final, a team they previously beat in the group stage. Kotak stressed that this past result would not influence India’s approach to the final. New Zealand coach Gary Stead echoed a similar sentiment, stating that while the venue decision was beyond their control, they are focused on playing their best cricket to secure a victory. The final match is set for Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium.
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