India made a strong start in the Champions Trophy with a commanding six-wicket victory over Bangladesh. The match saw standout performances from pacer Mohammed Shami and opener Shubman Gill, both playing crucial roles in securing the win.
Shami delivered a brilliant spell, claiming five wickets for 53 runs, dismantling Bangladesh’s top order.
This performance also marked his return to an ICC tournament in style, as he picked up his 200th ODI wicket. Bangladesh, after losing early wickets, managed to post a total of 228 runs, thanks to a fighting century by Towhid Hridoy.
Shubman Gill led India’s chase with an unbeaten 101 off 129 balls, ensuring a comfortable finish. Skipper Rohit Sharma provided a quickfire start with a 36-ball 41, achieving the milestone of 11,000 ODI runs in the process.
KL Rahul also contributed with a composed 41 not out, guiding India home with 21 balls to spare.
The day belonged to Shami, who rattled Bangladesh early with his precision bowling. His spell, along with Axar Patel’s two wickets, had Bangladesh reeling at 35 for five.
However, a crucial 154-run sixth-wicket partnership between Hridoy and Jaker Ali helped them recover. Hridoy's maiden international century was a bright spot for Bangladesh, but it was not enough to challenge India’s strong batting lineup.
Shami’s five-wicket haul was the highlight of the bowling attack, while Harshit Rana also chipped in with three wickets. Axar Patel nearly had a hat-trick but was denied when Rohit dropped a catch at first slip.
In India’s chase, Rohit set the tone with an aggressive start. His knock not only helped the team get ahead early but also saw him become the second-fastest batter to reach 11,000 ODI runs, just behind Virat Kohli. Kohli had achieved the feat in 222 innings, while Rohit took 261 innings.
India’s win also reinforced their strength in the format, with Rohit now being the fourth Indian and tenth overall to surpass 11,000 runs in ODIs. His achievements place him among some of the greatest batters in the game, including Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting.
Bangladesh’s bowling lacked the penetration to trouble the Indian batters. Rishad Hossain picked up two wickets, but the target of 229 was always going to be difficult to defend.
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