Thu Feb 20 18:26:41 UTC 2025: ## India Triumphs Over Bangladesh in Champions Trophy Opener
**Dubai, UAE:** India made a winning start to the Champions Trophy 2025, defeating Bangladesh by 6 wickets in their opening match at the Dubai International Stadium. The victory came with 21 balls to spare.
Mohammad Shami spearheaded India’s win, claiming a five-wicket haul to restrict Bangladesh to 228 runs. Despite a century by Towhid Hridoy and a half-century by Zakir Ali, who put on a crucial century partnership, Bangladesh’s innings faltered after a shaky start, losing 5 wickets for 35 runs.
Shubman Gill then stole the show, smashing an unbeaten century (101 runs) to guide India to victory and earning him the Player of the Match award. This is his second consecutive century, following a ton against England on February 12th. KL Rahul also contributed a valuable unbeaten 41.
India’s chase was not without its challenges. Rohit Sharma was dismissed early for 41, and Virat Kohli (22) and Shreyas Iyer (15) failed to capitalize on promising starts. However, Gill and Rahul’s partnership steered India safely to the target.
India will next face Pakistan on February 23rd. With Pakistan coming off a loss, the pressure is now on them to avoid elimination from the semi-final race.
First Piper 