winzir IND Vs BAN, ICC Champions Trophy: India Defeat Bangladesh By 6 Wickets In Opener Driven By Gill's Century

India's Shubman Gill celebrates after scoring a century during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and Bangladesh at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) India's Shubman Gill celebrates after scoring a century during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between India and Bangladesh at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

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 artisan’s craft than an artist’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.

India’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,phtaya Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Mushfiqur Rahim all falling cheaply, for ducks. Shami’s strike in his first spell that saw Soumya fall for a golden duck, set the tone for India’s dominance.

With his five-wicket haul, Shami surpassed Zaheer Khan to become India’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 India’s go-to pacer. Rana gave good backing to his senior partner.

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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 Kohli’s sluggish 22 off 38 and quick wickets of Shreyas Iyer (15) and Axar Patel (8) momentarily raised Bangladesh’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.

It’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)winzir