“Special Instructions” For Pitches On Which India Will Play ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Matches In Dubai Revealed

The teams are finishing up their preparations for the Champions Trophy 2025, which is quickly approaching. Except for India, every team competing in the event will play their games in Pakistan.

Due to the hybrid format, India's matches will take place in Dubai after the BCCI declined to send a team to Pakistan. However, because the stadium has lately hosted several significant tournaments, there have been worries about the matches in Dubai being played on repurposed pitches.

In January and February of 2025, Dubai hosted 15 ILT20 League matches, including the tournament's championship and other important elimination matchups. As a result, there were reservations regarding the Champions Trophy being held on the old pitches.

India to play on used pitches in Dubai?

The Men in Blue will play their matches on two brand-new surfaces that were previously set aside for the Champions Trophy, according to a PTI report. As a result, Dubai International Cricket Stadium's slow and deteriorating pitches might not be an issue for the Men in Blue.

To keep the pitches in Dubai in good shape for India's Champions Trophy matches, two of the ten surfaces were not utilized during the ILT20. It's still unclear, though, if such pitches were utilized throughout the playoffs.

“There are 10 match strips at the DICS. During the league stage, there was specific instruction that those two wouldn’t be used now and needed to be kept fresh for the Champions Trophy. However, whether any of the two was used for the playoffs isn’t known. The idea is to ensure that it doesn’t become low and slow after over-use and matches become a drag. The fresh pitches will aid the batters and bowlers in equal measure,” the PTI report read.

The new pitches are likely to assist the fast bowlers and will have a good bounce. As the matches go on, the pitches will start turning which will bring Indian spinners into the game.

India and Dubai surfaces for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Dubai has been welcoming to sailors, particularly with the new ball and under the lights. Under the lights, the pitches are renowned for their consistent seam movement and strong bounce. On the other hand, the spinners will probably benefit from the new pitches.

The spinners who bowl more quickly will be useful because the pitches will be a little slower. Once they have their eye in, the hitters will find it easy, ensuring that the bat and ball are balanced equally.

Spin heavy attack for the Men in Blue

India will field a spin-heavy assault at the Champions Trophy, with five spinners in the team, including two specialist spinners and three spin-bowling allrounders. The two specialist spinners are Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, while Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar are all-rounders.

Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana will lead the fast-bowling attack, with Hardik Pandya playing as a fast-bowling allrounder.

The Men in Blue campaign will begin on February 20 against Bangladesh. They will then meet arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2. All of India's matches will be held in Dubai.

Also Read: Virat Kohli Ignores BCCI Diktat; Gets Special Food Delivered In Dubai During Practice Session