Thu Feb 20 00:59:58 UTC 2025: ## India Begin Champions Trophy Campaign Against Bangladesh Under Ominous Dubai Skies

**Dubai, UAE –** Tournament favorites India launched their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign today against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. The match, played under overcast conditions, is crucial for India, as only two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals. India enters the tournament riding high after a recent 3-0 ODI series win over England, but faces a Bangladesh side boasting a potent pace attack featuring Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed.

The condition of the Dubai pitch is a significant factor. While the stadium has hosted numerous matches recently, potentially resulting in slow conditions, reports suggest two fresh pitches may be used, potentially offering early pace before favouring spinners later in the innings. This presents a challenge for India’s squad, which includes five spinners and four fast bowlers.

A victory against Bangladesh would significantly boost India’s confidence ahead of crucial group stage matches against Pakistan and New Zealand. While Dubai hasn’t been kind to India in past ICC events, captain Rohit Sharma and his team will be hoping to change that narrative.

**Teams:**

**India:** Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, and Varun Chakravarthy.

**Bangladesh:** Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

**Match Details:**

* **Umpires:** Adrian Holdstock and Paul Reiffel
* **Start Time:** 2:30 PM IST
* **Broadcast:** Star Sports Network and JioHotstar.

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