India’s dominant triumph in the 2025 Champions Trophy would have happened “anywhere in the world,” including Pakistan, according to former Pakistani great Wasim Akram. The legendary fast bowler dismissed the notion that India had an undue advantage by playing all their matches in Dubai, insisting that Rohit Sharma’s men were simply too strong to be stopped.
Due to political tensions, India did not travel to host nation Pakistan, prompting the PCB, ICC, and BCCI to agree on a hybrid model. As a result, all of India’s matches, including the semi-final and final, were played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This decision sparked controversy, with several players and pundits from other teams arguing that India benefited from a lack of travel and greater familiarity with the conditions.
However, the Men in Blue silenced their critics by lifting the trophy without losing a single match, capping off a flawless campaign with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final.
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“This Indian team would have won it anywhere in the world,” Wasim Akram said on The Dressing Room show. “There was a lot of debate about India playing in Dubai, but let’s be real—if they had played in Pakistan, they would have won there too. They won the 2024 T20 World Cup without losing a game, and now they’ve won the Champions Trophy unbeaten. That shows their depth, their leadership, and the backing they have from their board.”
Akram also praised the BCCI for standing firmly behind Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir despite India’s struggles in Test cricket leading up to the tournament.
“They lost 3-0 to New Zealand at home, lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and were beaten in Sri Lanka. There was pressure to change the captain and coach, but the BCCI backed them. Now, they are champions of the champions,” Wasim Akram added.
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Meanwhile, Pakistan has taken drastic measures following their poor campaign. Mohammad Rizwan has been sacked as T20I captain, while Babar Azam and Naseem Shah have been dropped from the shortest format as part of a major squad overhaul.
