How Did India ManageTo Get An Edge In The Champions Trophy?

The challenges, setbacks, and obstacles a team faces on its path to success are often forgotten over time. What truly endures is the team’s name and, perhaps, the final score—especially if it was a decisive victory.

So, while many continue to grumble that India gained an unfair advantage on their way to the Champions Trophy in Dubai, the team will be remembered as champions. The fact that they strolled to the cup virtually unhindered is unimportant.

If we talk about the Indian team’s advantages over the other seven, there were still advantages. For instance, it did not have to go through the disadvantages of international travel, both emotional and physical. As former England captain Michael Atherton pointed out, the conditions were not just different but a stark contrast. The lack of dew and slower pitches in Dubai made it possible to control the score, while in Pakistan, the teams scored over 300 points in dewy evening chases. Australia even had a record chase of 352 points in Lahore.

On the other hand, India played all five games at the same venue. They did not have to undergo any additional stress, much less familiarize themselves with the conditions of the game, so many estimate the benefits gained by the team to be massive. Michael Atherton indignantly noted that the Indian players had no fatigue from the overnight trip. This opinion was joined by dozens of bookmakers, who notably lowered the odds of India’s victory in their IPL betting apps.  The triumph of the Indian side was evident to them.

Yet, even though the team’s march to the Cup was easy, the critics continued to grumble. Even though the controversies were essential to the match’s outcome, it ended as it did. Both the losers and the winners have been identified.

At the same time, there have been less optimistic and more emotional critics than the former England captain. And all are talking about the lack of surprises for the Indian team and how much that contributed to its win. In any case, the Champions Trophy has been played, and the winning team has been determined. For better or worse, the circumstances only concern the players now, and in time, only the fact of winning the cup will remain in history. Whatever indignation it may cause now, it is a fact, and it remains a fact.