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Gill’s Century, Shami’s Five-Wicket Haul Power India to Victory in Champions Trophy 2025
India Begins 2025 Champions Trophy Campaign with a Convincing Win Over Bangladesh
India made a strong statement in their opening match of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, securing a comfortable six-wicket victory over Bangladesh. The win was powered by an outstanding five-wicket haul from Mohammed Shami and a composed, unbeaten century from Shubman Gill. Despite a fighting effort by Towhid Hridoy, who scored a maiden ODI ton, Bangladesh failed to set a challenging target for India.
Bangladesh’s Early Collapse and Hridoy’s Heroic Knock
Early Setback for Bangladesh
Bangladesh got off to a disastrous start after losing two wickets in the first two overs. Mohammed Shami and debutant Harshit Rana ripped through the top order, reducing Bangladesh to 2/2 within the first ten deliveries. Things went from bad to worse when Axar Patel was introduced into the attack inside the powerplay. He struck immediately, removing Tanzim Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim in consecutive deliveries. Rohit Sharma missed a golden opportunity to complete Axar’s hat-trick by dropping a regulation catch at slip off Jaker Ali. As a result, Bangladesh crumbled to 35/5 inside the first ten overs.
Hridoy and Jaker Stage a Fightback
Needing a rescue act, Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali formed a much-needed partnership. The duo played cautiously, focusing on rotating the strike to avoid a total collapse. With India’s spin trio keeping boundaries in check, Bangladesh struggled to accelerate. However, they absorbed the pressure and slowly built a strong 154-run partnership, both bringing up their half-centuries in the process.
As the innings progressed, Hridoy found some rhythm, launching a couple of sixes and pushing Bangladesh’s run rate past 4 per over for the first time in the 40th over. However, Shami returned to break the stand by dismissing Jaker. Rishad Hossain played a brief cameo, helping Bangladesh cross the 200-run mark, but cramps affected Hridoy’s ability to accelerate towards the end. He managed to complete his century, but Shami wrapped up the innings, finishing with 5/53 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 228 in 49.4 overs.
India’s Chase: Gill Anchors, Rahul Provides Support
A Blazing Start by Rohit and Gill
Chasing 229, India got off to a flying start, courtesy of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Rohit looked in ominous touch, smashing Mustafizur Rahman for multiple boundaries, surpassing the 11,000-run milestone in ODIs. In the ninth over, Gill showcased his aggressive intent, lofting Tanzim Hasan for a six over deep midwicket. India reached 65/0 inside the first nine overs.
A Mid-Innings Stutter
Rohit’s aggressive knock ended when he mistimed a shot off Taskin Ahmed. The scoring rate slowed significantly as Virat Kohli and Gill opted for a watchful approach on a slowing surface. This cautious play led to India losing a couple of wickets: Kohli once again fell to a leg-spinner, while Shreyas Iyer miscued one to Mustafizur, who had been expensive until then.
Gill and Rahul Seal the Win
India’s promotion of Axar Patel to counter the spinners didn’t work, as he failed to read a googly and was dismissed cheaply. With India still needing 85 runs, the game briefly hung in balance. However, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill steadied the innings. Bangladesh’s sloppy fielding further eased India’s path when Jaker Ali dropped Rahul at a crucial juncture.
Seizing the opportunity, Rahul smashed a crucial six off Rishad Hossain, and from there, the required runs started to come comfortably. Gill accelerated towards the end, reaching his slowest yet most crucial ODI century, before Rahul finished the chase with a massive six, ensuring India reached the target in 46.3 overs.
Match Summary
Brief Scores:
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)
Result: India won by six wickets
Key Takeaways
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Mohammed Shami’s five-wicket haul rattled Bangladesh early and helped India restrict them to a modest total.
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Towhid Hridoy’s maiden ODI ton gave Bangladesh some hope but wasn’t enough to pose a real threat.
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Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 101 anchored India’s chase in a tricky situation.
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KL Rahul’s steady hand ensured there were no further hiccups in the middle order.
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India’s strong start in the Champions Trophy boosts their confidence ahead of their next game.
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