ODDS IN THEIR FAVOUR India's captain Rohit Sharma (L) and his teammate Virat Kohli (C) celebrate their team's win in the ICC Champions Trophy one-day international (ODI) cricket match against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on March 2, 2025. Picture: Fadel Senna/AFP
Image: Fadel Senna/AFP
While the Proteas were justifiably criticised for going down in emphatic fashion to New Zealand in their Champions Trophy semi-final, it ultimately didn’t matter.
There’s simply no beating India this Champions Trophy, in a tournament engineered for them to win at their ‘home ground’ in Dubai.
While there’s no absolute certainty in a cricket match when pre-determining the winner, this is about as close as it gets.
Firstly, the India cricket team is playing the best cricket in the tournament, and their progression to the final was expected.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) saw to it that its team would not travel to Pakistan during the Champions Trophy due to legitimate safety concerns for their players and staff.
While their security concerns are legitimate, the double standards at play with the International Cricket Council (ICC) when it comes to India are farcical.
It meant that for the tournament co-hosted in Pakistan and the UAE, India was the only team that did not travel to different venues. The other seven teams all had to go through the usual travel challenges during the tournament, while India played at one venue and therefore became intimately accustomed to playing conditions.
That was probably the biggest advantage they gained in terms of winning matches.
The final against New Zealand on Sunday in Dubai promises to be a one-sided affair again.
It would be incredible if the Kiwis were able to somehow score one of the biggest upsets in cricket history, but in a tournament in which India has dictated the terms, I just don’t see it happening.
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