Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has said that the Indian team have a slight advantage in the 2025 Champions Trophy as they are playing all their games at one venue only. He also stated that other teams are moving between three venues in Pakistan and they have to travel to Dubai if they have a game against India as well. Notably, Team India are through to the semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy after winning their first two Group A games against Bangladesh and Pakistan in Dubai as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, he added, “It’s a good question. There is an advantage for sure. There is no shame in admitting the truth. There is a slight problem for the other teams as they are playing in three different venues, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore, and they have to come to Dubai at times. India are playing on just one ground. They have understood that pitch very well. We cannot get the pitch prepared, it’s not the home team’s ground, but we are benefitting. This is not something we can hide. There is no doubt that India have a slight advantage.”

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In the same video, Aakash Chopra also opened up on India and Pakistan being placed in one group in every ICC event, including the 2025 Champions Trophy as well.

“There will be riots if FIFA puts Argentina and Brazil in the same group repeatedly. However, the truth is that the ICC puts India and Pakistan in the same group in every ICC tournament. They do that so that there is a guaranteed match because if Pakistan don’t reach the latter stages, even if India does, the one game that the broadcasters can monetize a lot won’t happen. You are deciding commercially who needs to play more against whom, but commercials make the world go round. India-Pakistan are one-sided games but they get sold. Everyone watches and the ticket prices are very high. The whole economy works,” Aakash Chopra concluded.