
India begin Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with 6-wicket win over Bangladesh
Dubai/IBNS: India started off their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a convincing six-wicket win over Bangladesh riding on Shubman Gill's resilient century and Mohammad Shami's fifer at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Thursday.
Gill slammed his eighth One Day International (ODI) hundred and remained unbeaten on Thursday night to see India (231/4) hunt down the 229-run target set by Bangladesh with 21 balls to spare.
The right-handed opener, who scored 101 off 129 balls, kept his cool in the middle overs and collected singles when India lost wickets battling out the pitch, which went slower in the second half.
India captain Rohit Sharma started off the run chase in his trademark aggressive style but his dismissal for 41 by Taskin Ahmed and the lack of full blown support from the middle-order invited Bangladesh back into the game, which was played amid the political tension between the two South Asian countries.
KL Rahul, who was dropped on 9 by Jaker Ali off Taskin's ball, capitalised on the second chance to finish off the game unbeaten at 47.
Ali dropping Rahul left Rohit burst in laughter as the India captain too let go of him in the slip cordon and that eventually helped Bangladesh post a decent total on the board.
Rohit's drop catch not only denied Axar Patel (2/43) his hattrick but also fuelled Towhid Hridoy (100) and Ali (68) to help Bangladesh reach 228 in 49.4 overs.
The two stitched a 154-run partnership for the sixth wicket until Mohammad Shami, who clinched 5 for 53, dismissed Ali offering a breakthrough to India.
Shami's campaign to clean the Bangladeshi tail was contributed by Harshit Rana, who in his first ICC tournament match sent back three batters including the top scorer Hridoy for 31 runs.
India will take on arch-rival Pakistan in their next match which will be held in Dubai on Sunday.
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