Champions Trophy 2025: Expect India to generate heat in cool Dubai | Opinion

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An empty stadium in Karachi, lacklustre performance from the home side, this sums up defending champions Pakistan as the host lost in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener on Wednesday (February 19).

If someone tells you these pathetic Pakistanis fancy themselves as genuine contenders, forget it. They were outclassed by New Zealand, who put in a clinical performance, led by Will Young.

Even as Pakistan was floundering, the attention was focused on Rohit Sharma's press conference in Dubai, ahead of the contest against Bangladesh today (Thursday).

First, a few lines on Pakistan. For all the feverish pitch talk, hype on social media and how they have built world-class stadia, they seem to have forgotten how to build their own cricket team.

The kind of innings which Babar Azam played in an ODI was lousy, poor intensity and lacking flair. A man compared with legends in India like Virat Kohli not long back, Babar Azam looked pathetic. If this is going to be the grammar of his batting at home, it does not look good.

Back to India, the focus is on them big time. Rohit Sharma's press conference on Wednesday was free, frank and forthright. He had answers for almost all the questions.

Hopefully, Bangladesh will not throw up something out of syllabus in the first match in Dubai. They used to have decent spin attack, left-armers primarily, but the accent seems more on medium pace and swing now.

It is a big change for India in this desert duel in Dubai. This is, perhaps, the coolest weather in Dubai, the hot spot in the United Arab Emirates. Compared to the previous times when India have played in Dubai, it is much cooler.

Showers three days back was even more surprising. If there is going to be heat, India should generate it on the pitch. These days, Bangladesh have been hyped as bigger rivals than even Pakistan because of the political climate. If India peak in this match, it would be good, ahead of the big tie against Pakistan on Sunday.

Going by what Pakistan had to offer in their first outing in this edition of the Champions Trophy, they are not looking in great form. India, on the other hand, warmed up well in India itself, winning forcefully against England in an ODI series.

The batting looks solid, from the top. For all the sarcasm of India going to Dubai with five spinners, skipper Rohit Sharma was quick to explain a few of them are genuine all-rounders. He also did defend Mohd Shami.

But if anyone thinks Shami is Jasprit Bumrah, he or she does not know cricket. Whenever Bumrah has been part of Team India, any format, he has been a match-winner. Shami looks rusty, though if he can bend the ball in helpful conditions, it will be nice.

For those speculating if this is going to be the last time fans will see Rohit and Kohli in ODIs, hang on. Don't try and rush them into retirement. If they need to go, they will do so on their own. Nobody pushed them into retirement in the T20 format after the ICC World Cup win last year in theWest Indies.