After India advanced to the final of the tournament with a Dubai International Stadium four-wicket win over Australia, head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday lashed out at critics who said that India have an unfair edge because they played all Champions Trophy 2025 matches at the same venue and told the ‘perpetual cribbers’ to ‘grow up.’ The side captained by Rohit Sharma has played all four games at the same venue; other teams had to come from Pakistan to the Middle East to oppose India because the Indian government refused to let the team travel to Pakistan for their matches, upsetting followers of the other competing nations.
“Are we preparing at ICC Academy, where conditions differ from those we receive here at the arena? What an unfair advantage?”. At the post game event, Gambhir stated that some people are chronic cribbers; they have to mature.
Shreyas Iyer (45) batting on Virat Kohli (84)umi opener; K.L. Hardik Pandya’s 28 off 24 balls and Rahul (42 not out) provided the final touches India needed to advance to the final of the eight-team tournament with a score of 265.
K.L. is a wicketkeeper batter who is present in the competition. Totalling 83 runs across three innings and not getting an at-bat against Pakistan, Rahul has not had much influence on the scoreboard; still, he has remained unbeaten twice demonstrating his capacity to carry the team over the line.
Battling at number six, though Axar Patel had been elevated above him in the batting order, Gambhir supported Rahul and discussed his influence on the team. Criticism means nothing to me; I am honest about my job and to 140 crore Indians.; I don’t much concern about criticism or anything. Batting statistics are not mentioned; only the effect is discussed. We value influence and KL gives depth at No. 6,” he included.
Carrying on in Lahore on Wednesday, India will meet the victor of the second semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand in the final scheduled for March 9.