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India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy Clash 2025: India and Pakistan are set to renew their historic rivalry in a much-anticipated encounter at the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday. The outcome of this high-stakes match will significantly impact both teams’ chances of advancing to the semi-finals from Group A.
Recent Head-to-Head Encounters
Led by Rohit Sharma, India started their campaign on a strong note with a commanding six-wicket win over Bangladesh on Wednesday. Meanwhile, defending champions Pakistan suffered a setback, losing their tournament opener to New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi earlier this week. For Pakistan, this fixture is a must-win to keep their semi-final aspirations alive, whereas a victory for India would almost guarantee them a spot in the last four of the eight-team competition.
India’s dominance over Pakistan in ODI World Cups continued in their most recent meeting during the 2023 tournament in Ahmedabad. India triumphed by seven wickets, with skipper Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer both scoring half-centuries. Jasprit Bumrah, returning from injury, spearheaded India’s pace attack alongside Mohammed Siraj and Hardik Pandya, restricting Pakistan to a modest 191. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja further bolstered India’s bowling, sharing four wickets between them.
India vs Pakistan: Dubai’s Unique Playing Conditions
The three UAE venues—Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi—offer distinct playing conditions. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in particular, presents unique challenges due to its enclosed concrete structure. Former India player Robin Singh, who previously coached the UAE national team, in an interview with The Indian Express highlighted the stadium’s impact on the pitch conditions.
“It’s a closed environment, so a lot depends on which pitch you are playing on,” Singh told. “The center wicket gets the most sunlight, while the side wickets receive less exposure. This can make those tracks slightly slower. The design of the stadium also influences humidity and dew, but dew comes in too early to significantly affect the toss.”.
Pitch Trends and Toss Dynamics for India vs Pakistan Clash
Dubai has hosted seven ODIs in February, but only two featured full-member teams, Pakistan and England, back in 2012. On those occasions, the chasing side emerged victorious. However, in March matches involving full-member nations, teams batting first won both times. Out of 58 ODIs played at the venue, only 22 have been won by teams setting a target.
With Jasprit Bumrah absent, India’s bowling attack will rely on Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, whose bowling lengths differ from Mohammed Shami’s. If dew becomes a factor, opting for two wrist spinners—Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy—could be risky. However, playing just one spinner may leave India short of attacking options, a strategy they have preferred in ODIs lately.
Opportunities for Seamers
The absence of cross-ventilation at the Dubai stadium limits prolonged seam movement, unlike Abu Dhabi’s open fields or Sharjah’s lack of large structures. While the new ball may offer some assistance under lights, the conditions do not favor sustained swing.
“At night, the ball tends to skid on. Dew isn’t extensive, but it helps batting under lights. A quality fast bowler like Shami could be an asset in Dubai because he hits the right lengths,” Singh added while speaking to Indian Express.
Statistics back this assessment, with pacers proving more effective at the venue. Of the 58 ODIs played in Dubai, fast bowlers have taken 463 wickets at an average of 28.62 with an economy rate of 4.78, while spinners have claimed 320 wickets at an average of 30.17, maintaining a slightly lower economy of 4.25.
Daytime Advantage for Spinners
With matches starting at 2:30 PM local time, spinners may find more assistance in the afternoon due to the dry conditions. The curators have reportedly preserved a few pitches from the latter stages of the ILT20 to ensure they remain fresh for the ICC event.
Despite being a slower surface, Dubai has not traditionally produced excessive turn or deteriorated like subcontinental tracks.
India’s squad selection reflects an awareness of these conditions. They brought in Varun Chakaravarthy in place of a batsman, indicating a focus on balance, especially in Bumrah’s absence. Given the conditions, two out of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar are likely to feature, with a decision to be made between Kuldeep and Varun for the final spin-bowling spot.
Also Read: India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy: Why Is India Favourite Despite Pakistan Playing On Home Ground
