NEW DELHI: India will play all their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Dubai, but the excitement has spread worldwide. TV sets are being prepped, Team India jerseys are out and dry cleaned, refrigerators are stocked with drinks and snacks, and fans are eagerly awaiting the moment when captain Rohit Sharma walks out for the toss.
The Champions Trophy fever is in full swing!
Amid all the excitement, there’s been plenty of buzz surrounding the pitch. How is the pitch going to behave? If Rohit wins the toss, should he choose to bat or bowl?
The answers will come on February 20, but the anticipation continues to rise!
Dubai International Stadium pitch curator Matthew Sandery told TimesofIndia.com that curators have not received any instructions from any team, including India. He also mentioned that the pitch will offer consistent bounce.
India are in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand. They will kick off their campaign in Dubai on February 20 against Bangladesh, followed by the highly anticipated clash with Pakistan on February 23, before facing New Zealand on March 2.
“We’re in a really good spot at the moment. We want to keep all our secrets under wraps for now. We had the Women’s World Cup earlier this year, and it has really helped us improve our wickets. We’re really hoping for a great tournament with our services,” Sandery told TimsofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
“No instructions (regarding the pitch). We’re going to create the best surfaces for Dubai and the weather that obviously comes with the UAE. So we’re going to make the best wickets possible for the best teams when they come here. We’re really excited about the fact that India, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and obviously Pakistan, are coming. The big clash between India and Pakistan— as an Australian curator, I’m very excited.
“We’re going to produce the best quality surface at the time. We are making sure our surface is consistent, and our bounce is consistent. We want to make sure that when our players arrive here, they can hit through the ball. They should feel confident and comfortable that they can hit through the ball because fours and sixes in white-ball cricket bring people to the stands. So yeah, we’re not going to change too much. We’re going to make sure we create the best wickets for Dubai and Dubai only,” Sandery said.
India last faced Pakistan in Dubai in 2022, meeting twice during the Asia Cup. India registered a five-wicket win in the group stage but later fell to Pakistan by the same margin in the Super Four clash.
Unlike the Asia Cup, which was a T20 tournament, the upcoming Champions Trophy will be a 50-over contest.
Will dew be a decisive factor?
“Of course, the UAE provides unique weather conditions, and here at the stadium, we have a unique structure. Our roof structure provides a lot of shade for most of the ground. The sunlight plays a massive role as well, because it comes across the wicket early and halfway through the afternoon. So naturally, it’s going to play differently throughout the match. It’s up to the batter and the bowler to adapt,” Sandery said.