Thu Feb 20 08:50:00 UTC 2025: ## India Loses Toss, Plays Bangladesh Without Arshdeep Singh in Champions Trophy Opener
**Dubai:** India lost the toss and will be fielding first against Bangladesh in their opening Champions Trophy match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto opted to bat first, surprising many with the omission of Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh from the playing XI.
India’s bowling attack will be spearheaded by specialist pacers Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana, with Hardik Pandya providing additional pace support. Kuldeep Yadav is the sole specialist spinner, backed up by Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. KL Rahul will keep wickets in the absence of Rishabh Pant.
The playing XIs are:
**India:** Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav.
**Bangladesh:** Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shakib Al Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
India, fielding a strong team barring the injured Jasprit Bumrah, will be looking for a confidence-boosting win before their crucial match against Pakistan on Sunday. There is much speculation surrounding the potential final ODI tournament appearances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. New Zealand’s earlier victory over Pakistan sets a challenging tone for Group A. The match also saw a dropped catch by Rohit Sharma, costing Axar Patel a potential hat-trick.
First Piper 