India hold edge as Pakistan face must-win clash in Champions Trophy

After the opening matches of the Champions Trophy, Team India appear to be the frontrunners. Rohit Sharma’s squad secured a comfortable six-wicket victory over Bangladesh, while Pakistan stumbled with a 60-run defeat to New Zealand on home turf.

Adding to Pakistan’s challenges, the highly anticipated showdown on Sunday will take place in Dubai—a venue where India have already played and won. Despite being the official hosts, Pakistan will be stepping onto the field as visitors, unfamiliar with the pitch this tournament.

With their loss to New Zealand, Pakistan find themselves in a must-win situation against India to keep their semifinal hopes alive.

However, former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh offered a different perspective during a special pre-match show on JioHotstar. “I believe Pakistan holds an advantage as they are well-acquainted with Dubai’s conditions, having played a lot of cricket there,” Yuvraj noted, emphasizing Pakistan’s familiarity with the venue despite the current circumstances.