NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan has stirred controversy ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy final by accusing India of benefiting from a favourable scheduling.
Taking to X, Junaid on Saturday pointed out the significant travel distances for teams in the tournament, contrasting them with India’s stationary campaign in Dubai.
“Distance traveled between matches in Champions Trophy 2025:
New Zealand: 7,150 KM
South Africa: 3,286 KM
India: 0 KM
Some teams win by skill, some win by scheduling…,” Junaid posted, implying that India’s lack of travel provided them with an unfair advantage.
Earlier, India head coach Gautam Gambhir dismissed these allegations, calling them baseless.
Speaking after India’s four-wicket win over Australia in the semifinals, Gambhir retorted, “What undue advantage? We practice at ICC Academy, where conditions are different from the stadium. Some people are perpetual cribbers; they need to grow up.”
Despite the noise surrounding their schedule, India remain focused on the task ahead. The Rohit Sharma-led side has dominated the tournament with an unbeaten run, topping Group A with convincing wins over Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand before securing a crucial semifinal victory against Australia.
Their final opponents, New Zealand, have had a mixed campaign. They triumphed over Pakistan and Bangladesh in the group stage before falling to India. In the semifinals, the Black Caps delivered a commanding 50-run win over South Africa to earn their place in the title clash.
History favours New Zealand in ICC knockout matches against India, holding a 3-1 head-to-head record. This includes their victories in the 2000 Champions Trophy final, the 2019 and 2023 World Cup semifinals, and the 2021 World Test Championship final. India’s lone win came in the 2023 World Cup semifinal.
