In a thrilling start to their Champions Trophy campaign, India secured a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Dubai, thanks to an impressive unbeaten century from Shubman Gill. The match took place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, where India successfully chased down a target of 229 runs with 21 balls to spare.
Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first but found themselves in deep trouble early on, collapsing to 35 for 5 as Indian pace spearhead Mohammed Shami wreaked havoc with his bowling. Shami’s exceptional figures of 5 for 53 were instrumental in dismantling the Bangladeshi batting lineup, especially in his opening spell. Despite the rocky start, Bangladesh managed to recover, largely due to a resilient partnership between Towhid Hridoy, who scored a century with 100 runs, and Jaker Ali, who contributed 68 runs. Their sixth-wicket stand of 154 runs lifted Bangladesh to a total of 228 all out.
India’s chase began with a solid foundation laid by captain Rohit Sharma and Gill, who both struck boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. Rohit, who became only the fourth Indian to cross 11,000 runs in One Day Internationals, scored 41 runs before being dismissed. Virat Kohli, however, struggled to find his rhythm and was out for 22 after taking ten balls to get off the mark.
As India faced a mini-collapse, losing two more wickets to be reduced to 144 for 4, Gill remained calm under pressure. He partnered with KL Rahul, and together they forged an unbeaten 87-run partnership that guided India to victory. Gill’s composed innings marked his eighth ODI century, while Rahul finished not out on 41.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged the pressure of the match but praised his team’s ability to stay focused and execute their plans. On the bowling front, Shami’s performance was particularly noteworthy as he filled the gap left by Jasprit Bumrah, who was sidelined due to injury.
Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed disappointment over his team’s poor start and highlighted the importance of catching opportunities that were missed during the game. The match showcased the contrasting fortunes of the two teams, with India looking strong as they prepare for their next encounter against archrivals Pakistan, while Bangladesh will look to regroup ahead of their match against New Zealand.
As the tournament unfolds, India’s victory sets a positive tone for their campaign, while Bangladesh will need to address their batting and fielding shortcomings if they hope to make an impact in the competition.