Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned repeated claims of Team India having a so-called ‘unfair’ advantage in the 2025 Champions Trophy. He also added that the other teams could have withdrawn from the tournament if they felt India were unduly favoured. Notably, India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the 2025 Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Was there an unfair advantage? Ian Smith even said on commentary that all teams are wishing and praying that New Zealand win because India are taking an unfair advantage, and I was forced to think a little. I am saying there was a slight advantage, but this tournament happened like that. What could you have done? Either don’t play the tournament at all, say that you wouldn’t play, it’s okay. Even Pakistan won’t come to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup. So they will also play at a neutral venue. Asia Cup will also be played at a neutral venue. It’s going to happen like that.”
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However, Aakash Chopra also wondered whether the venue advantage would have been questioned had Team India failed to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-finals as well.
“Would you have said the same thing if India had lost their first three games and hadn’t qualified, that India had an unfair or undue advantage? Saying this after looking back at the result is slightly opportunistic. I am saying that there was a slight advantage, but you had the chance to leave India out, and say that you would play without them. In fact, Pakistan had proposed that India would play at just one ground, that is Lahore, travel by road from Amritsar, play the match, and return to Amritsar and stay. So India were anyway supposed to play all their games in Lahore. India weren’t going to travel to Rawalpindi and Karachi. So you would have still said they have an unfair advantage,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
