India defeated their neighbours Bangladesh by 6 wickets in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Thursday, 20 February 2025. (Match Highlights | Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
If one word could define the match, it would be Shubman Gill. His unbeaten 101, marking his 8th ODI century, was more of an artisan바카라™s craft than an artist바카라™s flourish, guiding India since the start to the end.
Batting first by choice, Bangladesh could not have regretted their decision more as they crumbled to 35 for 5 inside nine overs. Despite a valiant maiden ODI century from Towhid Hridoy, their total of 228 proved inadequate.
India바카라™s bowlers made early inroads, with Mohammed Shami (5/53) and debutant Harshit Rana (3/31) running riot with the new ball.
Bangladesh's top order collapsed under relentless pressure, with Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Mushfiqur Rahim all falling cheaply, for ducks. Shami바카라™s strike in his first spell that saw Soumya fall for a golden duck, set the tone for India바카라™s dominance.
With his five-wicket haul, Shami surpassed Zaheer Khan to become India바카라™s leading wicket-taker in ICC tournaments, taking his tally to 60 scalps. His performance also silenced concerns over the absence of inured Jasprit Bumrah, reaffirming his role as India바카라™s go-to pacer. Rana gave good backing to his senior partner.
Hridoy (100 off 118) and Jaker Ali (68 off 114) staged a defiant fightback with a 154-run partnership for the sixth wicket, offering Bangladesh a glimmer of hope. However, once Shami returned to dismiss Jaker, Bangladesh's lower order folded quickly, losing their final five wickets for just 39 runs.
Now, chasing a modest target of 229 runs, India started brightly with skipper Rohit Sharma (41 off 36) taking on the bowlers before falling to Taskin Ahmed.
Virat Kohli바카라™s sluggish 22 off 38 and quick wickets of Shreyas Iyer (15) and Axar Patel (8) momentarily raised Bangladesh바카라™s hopes. However, Gill (101* off 129) showcased maturity beyond his years, anchoring the chase with a calculated century.
KL Rahul (41* off 47) also provided solid support in an unbroken 87-run stand, ensuring there were no late stumbles. India reached the target in 46.3 overs, sealing a comfortable win in their opener.
It바카라™s also a nerve-settling victory for India ahead of their much-awaited clash against a more accomplished Pakistan at the same venue on February 23.
(With PTI Inputs)
