India’s batters could’ve scored heavily in Pakistan: Robin Uthappa | Cricket News

India’s Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli run between the wickets. (PTI Photo)

DUBAI: The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, it may safely be mentioned, has been marred by unhealthy climate in Pakistan and accusations from numerous quarters that India have loved an ‘unfair benefit’ by enjoying all their matches at one venue – the Dubai International Stadium right here, whilst the opposite groups are criss-crossing between numerous venues in Pakistan and Dubai to play their matches.
Former India opener Robin Uthappa, who’s presently settled in Dubai submit retirement, has a barely totally different tackle the difficulty. The 39-year-old, who performed 46 ODIs (934 runs@25.94) and 13 T20Is (24.90) from 2006-2015, feels that India’s power-packed batting line-up really missed out on “scoring heavily” on the featherbeds of Pakistan through the match, being pressured to play on the gradual pitch of Dubai, the place run-scoring has comparatively been harder.
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“India could have complained that had they played on flat Pakistani pitches, their record could have been nicer. Each batsman would have got an opportunity to score (heavily). You may say whatever, but at the end of the day, cricket is a contest between bat and ball and the team which plays well on that day wins. And those who complain, you can sense their mental state. It becomes so obvious,” Uthappa mentioned.
Uthappa mentioned that whereas India did take pleasure in an edge in the Champions Trophy in phrases of getting a possibility to grow to be aware of the situations in Dubai, it should even be taken into consideration that that they had “the right to decide if they don’t want to travel to a particular nation due to the geo-political situation.”

“I will not say it’s a home advantage but there is definitely an advantage of familiarity. I heard an interview where former India opener Wasim Jaffer was saying that there could have been one match in Abu Dhabi, one in Dubai and one in Sharjah, and definitely that could have been done so that other teams couldn’t find a reason to complain. However, we must ask why didn’t we go to Pakistan? Because of the geo-political situation. And each country has their right to decide if they don’t want to travel to a particular nation. And for that, if one country ends up playing in one venue then so be it,” Uthappa mentioned throughout a guide launch, right here on Friday night.
Giving his tackle the controversy, former India opener and present UAE head coach Lalchand Rajput mentioned that India have been undoubtedly better off in the 2025 Champions Trophy because it wasn’t simple for visiting groups to get used to the Dubai pitch rapidly. “See, there is definitely an advantage as one team is playing all matches in one venue. But if you look closely, Pakistani pitches are flat while Dubai is on the slower side and it will take some effort to get used to these conditions quickly.”
Uthappa mentioned it should not matter to India who their semifinal opponents can be from Group B – it may very well be both Australia or South Africa – and the 2023 ODI World Cup finalists ought to simply give attention to their very own “form, strength and mood of the team.”
“Genuinely as a cricketer it does not matter to us as to who is going to be our opponent. We as a team should focus on our form, strength and mood of the team, which is more important than who we are going to face or the pitches we are going to play on. It doesn’t matter much. Any team which is confident and in form would never think on those lines. They will concentrate on what we are going to do to win the game,” Uthappa mentioned.

‘Had predicted that Kohli would break Tendulkar’s document’
For somebody who had coached Virat Kohli when the latter was enjoying for the India under-19 group in 2006 the place he was the pinnacle coach, Rajput reminded everybody that he had predicted “very early that Kohli would end up breaking (the legendary) Sachin Tendulkar‘s colossal records in international cricket.”
Talking about the Indian cricketing superstar, who is set to feature in his 300th ODI, Rajput said, “To be very sincere, I had predicted very early that he would break Tendulkar’s document. He nonetheless has acquired the identical starvation and keenness and 300 is plenty of video games. He continues to be so match and each run is so vital for him and he values his wicket. He does not need to throw his wicket. That is why he’s the No. 1 (batter in world cricket.)”
Showering reward on India captain Rohit Sharma for “keeping the dressing room” happy with his jovial nature, Rajput hoped that India would win one more ICC trophy – they triumphed in the 2024 T20 World Cup last year – under his captaincy.
“As a captain, he’s one of the best thus far with younger gamers. He retains the dressing room very completely happy, as a result of he permits the batsmen to carry out effectively and does not put any stress, and he’s a jolly good fellow. He retains the temper very mild and that’s what you noticed in the West Indies when India received the T20 World Cup. Apart from the captain, he’s additionally a good friend, thinker, and information for a lot of gamers. So, I believe this CT can be one other feather in his cap. And the best way India has performed thus far, I do consider that there’s one other world trophy that India can win,” Rajput concluded.