'Tournaments are won by performances, not excuses' - Ashwin dismisses unfair advantage claims made against India

Ravichandran Ashwin, the former India cricketer, has strongly denied the claims that India has enjoyed an "unfair home advantage" in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The allegations have come up from the fact that India are playing all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium, while other teams have had to travel to and from different cities of Pakistan to Dubai.

Ashwin dismissed these concerns, arguing that performances, not excuses, determine tournament achievements. He shed light on South Africa’s Champions Trophy campaign in 2009, when the Proteas played all their group matches at Centurion only, but failed to qualify for the knockout stage.

"I want to clear one thing. Tournaments are won based on performances, not excuses. It makes me laugh seeing the same questions being asked in press conferences. South Africa played all their group matches at the same venue in 2009 and still didn’t qualify. India, on the other hand, last played ODIs in the UAE during the Asia Cup before COVID," Ashwin mentioned on his YouTube channel.

India remains unbeaten in ODIs at the Dubai International Stadium, having won the 2018 Asia Cup and now making an exceptional run in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Skipper Rohit Sharma also spoke about the controversy, stating that regardless of playing at a single venue, the team has had to adapt to different and varying pitch conditions in each game.

Also Read - WATCH: Gautam Gambhir extols Rohit Sharma ahead of Champions Trophy final

Ashwin also took a dig at teams that consistently complain about conditions instead of focusing on their own game.

"I know one team. They come to India, lose 4-0, and then blame the pitches. Focus on yourselves. Indian cricket is a proud asset of this country. Don’t throw mud on our players just because someone else is setting the narrative," he added.

Appreciating New Zealand’s professionalism, Ashwin mentioned that despite travelling around 7,000 kilometers, the Kiwis have made no excuses.

"If you ask Williamson or Santner, they’ll say India played well. That’s why New Zealand has fans. They are classy and gentlemen," he said further.

India will face New Zealand in the final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, March 9.