India has made a strong start in the Champions Trophy 2025, defeating Bangladesh by 6 wickets in their opening match. The Indian team's victory was largely due to the impressive performances of Shubman Gill and Mohammed Shami. Gill scored an unbeaten century, while Shami took a 5-wicket haul to restrict Bangladesh to a manageable total. Bangladesh had put up a fight, with Towhid Hridoy scoring a maiden ODI ton, but it was not enough to trouble the Indian team.
The match began with Bangladesh struggling to get a strong start, losing two wickets in the first two overs. The Indian bowlers, particularly Shami and Harshit Rana, made the most of the early momentum, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 2/2. Axar Patel's introduction into the attack further worsened the situation for Bangladesh, as they lost half their side for just 35 runs. However, Jaker Ali and Hridoy staged a recovery, batting out overs and ensuring that Bangladesh did not fold easily. Hridoy eventually scored a century, but Shami's 5-wicket haul restricted Bangladesh to 228 runs in 49.4 overs.
India's chase was led by Rohit Sharma and Gill, who went after the Bangladesh bowling attack in the PowerPlay. Gill kickstarted the innings with a boundary, while Rohit did the bulk of the scoring in the opening exchanges. Although Rohit's charge was halted by Taskin Ahmed, Gill and Virat Kohli were watchful, with no real scoreboard pressure. The introduction of spin by Bangladesh led to a couple of wickets, but Gill and KL Rahul steadied the innings, showcasing patience and nudging the ball around. Rahul's drop by Jaker Ali at a crucial stage proved costly for Bangladesh, as he and Gill took India to victory.
The Champions Trophy is a prestigious tournament in the cricket calendar, and India's win is a significant one. The team's performance was impressive, with Shubman Gill and Mohammed Shami being the standout players. The match scores were:
- Bangladesh: 228 in 49.4 overs (Towhid Hridoy 100, Jaker Ali 68; Mohammed Shami 5/53, Harshit Rana 3/31)
- India: 231/4 in 46.3 overs (Shubman Gill 101*, KL Rahul 41*; Rishad Hossain 2/38)
The win has given India a strong start in the tournament, and they will look to build on this momentum in their upcoming matches.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
- India vs Bangladesh: June 10
- India vs South Africa: June 15
- India vs Pakistan: June 20
The team rankings are:
- India: 1st
- Bangladesh: 2nd
- South Africa: 3rd
The player statistics are:
- Shubman Gill: 101* runs
- Mohammed Shami: 5/53 wickets
- Towhid Hridoy: 100 runs
