PAK vs. IND: Yuvraj Singh feels that Pakistan hold an advantage over India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 game

Pakistan will face off against India in the ICC Champions Trophy game in Dubai and Yuvraj Singh feels that the venue will suit Pakistan.

Yuvraj Singh, Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan (Via X)

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has already kicked off. Hosts Pakistan have lost their opening match against New Zealand in Karachi. On the other hand, India have started off their campaign on a good note by beating Bangladesh in the opening match in Dubai. Both of these teams will face off against each other in the high-voltage game on February 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Ground.

Seeing the team on paper, India does look to be much stronger than their counterpart. They have all their bases covered and are also in form. They came to the tournament on the back of a 3-0 win against England and then beat Bangladesh. Pakistan, on the other hand, are struggling badly with the loss of players, poor team combinations, and also the performance of their players on the field.

The Men in Green lost two out of the three matches in the Tri-Nation series at home before the tournament started. India and Pakistan face off against each other in only ICC events currently, and hence the pressure is doubled. India have maintained a big dominance over their arch-rivals in the ICC tournaments and will start as favourites.

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, however, feels that Pakistan have the advantage over India in Dubai because they have played in that venue as the home ground for many years. He added that India do have more match-winners than Pakistan, but also added that the performance of one player can determine the outcome of an India vs Pakistan game.

I actually think Pakistan has an advantage because they have a base in Dubai. They have played a lot of cricket there and understand the conditions well. You talk about match-winners–yes, I agree with Shahid Afridi that we have more match-winners. But I believe that even if Pakistan has fewer match-winners, one player can still take the game away. The India-Pakistan clash is not about match-winners alone; it’s about playing in the moment, adapting to the situation, and not letting expectations overwhelm you. The team that does this better will win the game for their country.
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PAK vs. IND: Pakistan have a lead over India in the ICC Champions Trophy

India and Pakistan have faced off against each other in five encounters in the ICC Champions Trophy, with the Men in Green having won three matches and the Men in Blue having won two matches. In the 2017 edition, India beat Pakistan convincingly in the group stage game but Pakistan thrashed India in the final of the tournament to take the trophy.

The last time both these teams faced off against each other in Dubai was at the 2022 edition of the Asia Cup, which was held in the T20 format. Pakistan beat India in the game. They also registered their first win in World Cups against India in this venue during the 2021 T20 World Cup game, where they infamously beat India by 10 wickets.

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Team India will need to be on their toes even against an out-of-form Pakistan side. They are an unpredictable side and on their day, they can decimate even the best of teams.