Originally the tournament was being hosted by Pakistan, but now India’s matches will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, making it a hybrid model. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had put pressure on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to find a solution after expressing its inability to travel to the neighbouring country due to security concerns.
Eventually, India’s matches were shifted to the UAE, with one semi-final also set to be held in Dubai. Moreover, if India progresses, the final will also be held in Dubai. Hence, India will play all their matches in Dubai and have set up their base in the city after landing on February 15 and going through two practice sessions so far.
The Men in Blue will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20, followed by a much-anticipated match against Pakistan. Their group campaign will end with a match against New Zealand on March 2.
India’s Record in Dubai for ODIs
| Played | 15 | 6 |
| Wins | 10 | 5 |
| Losses | 4 | 0 |
| Tied | 1 | 1 |
India has played 15 matches across all formats in Dubai, winning 10, losing four and one tie. At the same time, India has performed brilliantly on Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the ODI format of the Champions Trophy. India has played six ODIs in Dubai, winning five of them and one match was tied against Afghanistan.
All these matches were played during the 2018 Asia Cup, which India won under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. This right-handed batter has a great record in ODIs in Dubai. The Indian captain has scored 317 runs in five ODIs in Dubai at an average of 105.66. He has scored one century and two half-centuries in these matches.
However, the record for most runs scored by an Indian in Dubai is held by Shikhar Dhawan. This left-handed batter scored 342 runs in five matches at an average of 68.40 and a strike rate of 102.08 and also scored two centuries. He also holds the record for the highest individual score (127 runs) by an Indian on Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India Men’s Cricket Team Stats in ODIs at Dubai International Cricket Stadium
| Highest score | 285/7 |
| Lowest score | 164/2 |
| Most runs | Shikhar Dhawan (342 runs) |
| Highest individual score | Shikhar Dhawan (127 runs) |
| Most wickets | Kuldeep Yadav (10 wickets) |
| Best bowling figures | Ravindra Jadeja (4/29) |
On the bowling front, Kuldeep Yadav leads the list of wicket-takers for India in Dubai. The Chinaman took 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 23.70 and an economy of 4.08. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja holds the record for the best bowling by an Indian in Dubai. The 36-year-old Jadeja took 4/29 against Bangladesh during the 2018 Asia Cup, for which he received the Player of the Match honours in the Super Four stage.
India ODI Matches in Dubai
18 September 2018 – beat Hong Kong by 26 runs
19 September 2018 – beat Pakistan by 8 wickets
21 September 2018 – beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets
23 September 2018 – beat Pakistan by 9 wickets
25 September 2018 – tied with Afghanistan
28 September 2018 – beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets