EXCLUSIVE | Dubai pitch curator shares what Team India can expect in Champions Trophy | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: India will play all their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Dubai, however the pleasure has unfold worldwide. TV units are being prepped, Team India jerseys are out and dry cleaned, fridges are stocked with drinks and snacks, and followers are eagerly awaiting the second when captain Rohit Sharma walks out for the toss.
The Champions Trophy fever is in full swing!

Amid all the joy, there’s been loads of buzz surrounding the pitch. How is the pitch going to behave? If Rohit wins the toss, ought to he select to bat or bowl?
The solutions will come on February 20, however the anticipation continues to rise!

Dubai International Stadium pitch curator Matthew Sandery advised TimesofIndia.com that curators haven’t obtained any directions from any group, together with India. He additionally talked about that the pitch will supply constant bounce.
India are in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Pakistan, and New Zealand. They will kick off their marketing campaign in Dubai on February 20 in opposition to Bangladesh, adopted by the extremely anticipated conflict with Pakistan on February 23, earlier than dealing with New Zealand on March 2.

“We’re in a really good spot at the moment. We want to keep all our secrets under wraps for now. We had the Women’s World Cup earlier this year, and it has really helped us improve our wickets. We’re really hoping for a great tournament with our services,” Sandery advised TimsofIndia.com in an unique interview.
“No instructions (regarding the pitch). We’re going to create the best surfaces for Dubai and the weather that obviously comes with the UAE. So we’re going to make the best wickets possible for the best teams when they come here. We’re really excited about the fact that India, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and obviously Pakistan, are coming. The big clash between India and Pakistan— as an Australian curator, I’m very excited.

“We’re going to supply the highest quality floor on the time. We are ensuring our floor is constant, and our bounce is constant. We wish to make it possible for when our gamers arrive right here, they can hit via the ball. They ought to really feel assured and cozy that they can hit via the ball as a result of fours and sixes in white-ball cricket deliver folks to the stands. So yeah, we’re not going to vary an excessive amount of. We’re going to verify we create the perfect wickets for Dubai and Dubai solely,” Sandery said.
India last faced Pakistan in Dubai in 2022, meeting twice during the Asia Cup. India registered a five-wicket win in the group stage but later fell to Pakistan by the same margin in the Super Four clash.
Unlike the Asia Cup, which was a T20 tournament, the upcoming Champions Trophy will be a 50-over contest.
Will dew be a decisive factor?
“Of course, the UAE offers distinctive climate circumstances, and right here on the stadium, we now have a singular construction. Our roof construction offers a number of shade for many of the floor. The daylight performs an enormous position as nicely, as a result of it comes throughout the wicket early and midway via the afternoon. So naturally, it’ll play otherwise all through the match. It’s as much as the batter and the bowler to adapt,” Sandery mentioned.