Pat Cummins Highlights Advantage for India in Champions Trophy

Australia’s Test captain, Pat Cummins, has openly criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the decision to allow all India matches during the Champions Trophy 2025 to be held in Dubai. Cummins believes this grants India a significant advantage given their refusal to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns. This situation led to the adoption of a hybrid model for the tournament, with matches split between Dubai and Lahore depending on India’s performance.

Cummins, presently sidelined from the tournament due to an ankle injury, expressed concern about the fairness of this arrangement. He noted that playing at a single venue without the challenge of varying conditions represents a major benefit for India. In Cummins’ absence, Australia’s ODI team is being led by Steven Smith.

India’s campaign in the Champions Trophy kicked off with victories over Bangladesh and their longstanding rivals, Pakistan. A standout performance was delivered by Virat Kohli, who scored an unbeaten century against Pakistan, further strengthening India’s position in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Australia’s squad is not without its own challenges. The team is dealing with the absence of several key players including Josh Hazlewood, due to injury, and Mitchell Starc who is unavailable for personal reasons. Additionally, Mitchell Marsh is also nursing an injury, and Marcus Stoinis recently announced his retirement from ODIs, adding more hurdles for the Australian side.

Despite these setbacks, Australia secured a commendable victory over England, successfully chasing down a target of 352 with a match-winning century from Josh Inglis. Australia is scheduled to face South Africa in their upcoming match on February 25 in Rawalpindi.

The stakes are high in the Group A matches as New Zealand takes on Bangladesh, with qualification for the semi-finals up for grabs for both New Zealand and India.