“It’s a unique tournament already” - Jos Buttler opens up on India playing their 2025 Champions Trophy matches in Dubai

England captain Jos Buttler has opened up about the Champions Trophy 2025 being contested in a hybrid model, where India are playing their matches at a single venue — Dubai. The apparent unfair advantage has been highlighted by several, including English pundits like Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton.

As per the hybrid model, India will play only at the Dubai International Stadium, including the knockouts, while the rest of the teams are camped up in the host nation Pakistan. Teams have had to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to face India while playing the rest of the matches in Pakistan.

The tired pitches in Dubai and the lack of traveling have all worked in India's favor so far. They have racked up consecutive wins to qualify for the semi-finals.

Buttler termed the tournament 'unique' ahead of England's crucial tie against Afghanistan in Lahore on Wednesday, February 26.

"I think it's a unique tournament already, isn't it, with being hosted here with one team playing in a different place but that's not something I'm sort of worried too much about at the moment. I've got all my focus on preparing well tonight and our game tomorrow,” Buttler said in the pre-match press conference (via India Today).

Team India are yet to lose an ODI match at the Dubai International Stadium. They had also won the 2018 Asia Cup on the back of five outright wins and a tied contest.

"Seems to me to be a hard-to-quantify advantage, but an undeniable advantage" - Michael Atherton on Team India playing in Dubai in 2025 Champions Trophy

Team India's dominant start to the tournament has escalated the 'unfair advantage' debate. Oppositions have struggled to contain the Indian batting unit and deal with their bowling, especially the spin trio, in the matches so far.

Michael Atherton has asserted that India have an advantage of playing all their matches at one venue in terms of traveling as well as team selection.

“What about the advantage India have in playing in Dubai, only in Dubai? Which seems to me to be a hard-to-quantify advantage, but an undeniable advantage. They’re playing at just one venue. They don’t have to travel either between venues or, you know, between countries, as a lot of other teams have to do," Atherton said on Sky Sports (via Indian Express).

“Therefore, the selection, you know, can focus in on the conditions in Dubai. And obviously, they’ll know where they’re playing their semi-final as and when they get through to that," he added.

India's final group-stage fixture, scheduled at the same venue, is against New Zealand on Sunday, March 2. The winner of the contest will end as the table-toppers of Group A.