Pakistan and India are preparing for their highly anticipated Champions Trophy clash in Dubai, but the fixture has failed to excite former Indian captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly. Speaking at a recent event, Ganguly not only backed India to dominate the match, raising doubts about Pakistan’s ability to pose a challenge, but also tipped his former side as tournament favourites.
Sourav Ganguly pointed to India’s superior spin attack as a decisive factor, predicting that spin would play a crucial role in Dubai’s conditions. “India are not just favourites against Pakistan; for me, they are favourites for this tournament. It won’t be easy for Pakistan. The spinners will also play a crucial role. I think India will go with the same bowling combination,” he said.
India has fielded a three-pronged spin attack featuring Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav in their only fixture of the tournament, while their pace battery includes Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya offering additional support. In contrast, Pakistan has opted for a pace-heavy squad, with only one specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed, in their playing XI.
Ganguly believes this lack of spin options could hurt Pakistan in Dubai’s conditions. “On the wicket in Dubai, they will need spinners. I presume this Dubai pitch will turn a bit, and Pakistan doesn’t play spin very well. India has quality spinners,” he remarked. Sourav Ganguly also predicted that India could knock Pakistan out of the Champions Trophy entirely, stating, “New Zealand has beaten Pakistan, so New Zealand is ahead. If India beats Pakistan, then Pakistan will probably be out of the competition. So, I see India and New Zealand progressing from this group,” he added.
On paper, Rohit Sharma’s men have the upper hand in every department heading into the contest. After easing to a win over Bangladesh, they face a Pakistan team that was outplayed by the Kiwis at home, missing their best attacking option in Fakhar Zaman. With the added pressure of a do-or-die game, India can exploit Pakistan’s weaknesses once again to secure their second win in a row. Meanwhile, Pakistan will be relying on their established stars to rise to the occasion and keep the team in the tournament.
Whether Sourav Ganguly’s predictions about India come true or whether Pakistan surprises the world will be answered tomorrow.
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