"Definite Advantage": Ex-India Star's No-Nonsense Take On Venue Row, Gives 'Geo-Political' Answer

Ahead of the crucial India-New Zealand match in Dubai on Sunday, former India opener Robin Uthappa and current UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput shared their insights on India's perceived 'home' advantage and the significance of maintaining momentum in the ICC Champions Trophy. Addressing whether India enjoys a 'home advantage' in Dubai, as the tournament hosts are Pakistan, but India did not play due to political tension, Uthappa stated at the launch of a book -Life Lessons from Cricket, "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.

However, we must ask why didn't we go to Pakistan? Because of the geo-political situation. And each country has its 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," he added.

When asked whether India should have a preferred semifinal opponent, Uthappa dismissed the idea, emphasizing that a confident team should focus on its own strengths rather than external factors.

"Genuinely, as a cricketer, it does not matter to