India Begin ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with Win Over Bangladesh:

Dubai, February 20: Team India made a strong start to their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a comfortable 6-wicket win over Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Led by Rohit Sharma, India chased down 229 runs with ease, setting the stage for a high-stakes clash against Pakistan on Sunday at the same venue.

The star of the match was Shubman Gill, who played a match-winning knock of 101 runs* in his maiden ICC tournament appearance as vice-captain. His calm and composed innings ensured India’s chase remained on track despite middle-order hiccups.

How India’s Chase Unfolded

India started aggressively, thanks to the opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. They put up a solid 69-run partnership before Rohit fell just inside the batting powerplay.

Key Moments in the Chase:

Rohit Sharma (41 off 36) – Provided a quick start before getting dismissed.
Virat Kohli (22 off 38) – Fell short of reaching 14,000 ODI runs, dismissed just 15 runs away from the milestone.
Middle-order struggles – Shreyas Iyer (15) and Axar Patel (8) failed to convert their starts.
Unbeaten partnership – Shubman Gill & KL Rahul (38)* put together a match-winning 87-run stand, sealing the win with 21 balls to spare.

Gill’s century, though slow, was a masterclass in control and composure, ensuring India’s victory in their Champions Trophy opener.

Shubman Gill’s Century – Slowest ODI Ton of His Career

Gill’s 101 off 125 balls* was one of the slowest centuries by an Indian batter in ODIs since 2010.

Slowest ODI Centuries for India Since 2010 (Balls Faced):

138 balls – Sachin Tendulkar vs Bangladesh (Mirpur, 2012)
128 balls – Rohit Sharma vs South Africa (Southampton, 2019)
125 balls – Manoj Tiwary vs West Indies (Chennai, 2011)
125 balls – Shubman Gill vs Bangladesh (Dubai, 2025)

Despite the slow strike rate, Gill’s innings was crucial in stabilizing the chase after India lost quick wickets in the middle overs.

Quickest to 8 ODI Centuries for India (By Innings):

51 innings – Shubman Gill (Fastest Indian to reach 8 ODI tons)
57 innings – Shikhar Dhawan
68 innings – Virat Kohli
98 innings – Gautam Gambhir

Gill’s latest century cements his reputation as India’s most consistent young batter in ODIs.

What’s Next for India?

With this victory, India now heads into a high-voltage clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, February 23, at the same venue. A win against Pakistan would put India in prime position for the knockout stages.

Can Rohit’s men deliver another dominant performance? Stay tuned for more Champions Trophy 2025 action!