Opener Shubman Gill and seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami played a key role on either side of the innings, to inspire India’s six-wicket win over Bangladesh in their Group A league opener of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 on Thursday night.

The game was effectively won in the first 10 overs of each innings, where India’s bowlers wrecked Bangladesh’s top order before the batters ensured a composed chase.

The ICC no.1 ranked batter Gill smashed his second ODI hundred on the trot and stitched a crucial unbeaten partnership of 87 runs alongside KL Rahul while chasing a under par target of 229 on a sluggish pitch at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, UAE, to ensure a bright start for one of the tournament favourites..

Gill earlier combined alongside his skipper Rohit Sharma to take the attack to the Bangladesh bowlers from the word-go. Their rollicking start of 69 runs was ended after Rohit (41) was undone by a short delivery from Taskin Ahmed off the penultimate ball of the powerplay, not before the veteran batter had smashed seven boundaries off 36 balls.

Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain then struck twice to remove Virat Kohli (22) and Axar Patel (8) with 144 runs on the board to spark a fightback, after  Shreyas Iyer (15) too fell cheaply in between.

Having lost four wickets at this stage, KL Rahul made the most of a reprieve (dropped on nine by Jaker Ali off Taskin who was dropped on nine by Jaker Ali off Taskin Ahmed), ensured that there were no further hiccups and played a resolute unbeaten knock off off 47 balls including the winning six off Tanzim Hasan Sakib with a pull over backward square leg boundary to trigger a wide smile on Gill’s face who had amassed 101 not out off 129 deliveries which included  nine fours and two sixes at the non-striker end.

Earlier opting to bat first after winning the toss, Bangladesh lost five wickets for  35 runs inside the powerplay, undone by Mohammed Shami’s sensational five wicket haul and left arm spinner Axar Patel’s incisive spell  that saw him take two wickets in his very first over. Towhid Hridoy (100) maiden century and Jaker Ali (68) gritty half century after being dropped even before he had opened his account during their 154-run stand for the fifth wicket ensured their team’s fight back.

Shami who had dismissed Soumya Sarkar (0) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (5)  in his opening spell with the new ball after having induced outside edges that were caught behind by the wicketkeeper KL Rahul and Shubman Gill in the slips respectively.

He came back to end the record highest partnership for the sixth wicket in ICC Champions Trophy history, by dismissing Ali  and Sakib soon after, even as Bangladesh laboured to 228 before being bowled out in the final over of the innings.

Wrapping up with bowling figures of 5/53 from his 10-over quota, Shami crossed the 200 ODI wickets milestone, and surpassed Zaheer Khan (59 wickets) to become India's leading wicket-taker at ICC ODI tournaments to headline the first innings. He was well supported by rookie pacer Harshit Rana (3/31) who earlier accounted for Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto for a duck in his very first over of the match .

Shubman Gill who scored his eighth ODI century and the first in an ICC tournament was named the Player of the Match. Post the match he said,” It’s one of my most satisfying hundreds and my first in an ICC event. Rohit bhai and I knew cutting the ball wasn’t easy, so stepping out and going over the infield was a better option. Batting with Virat, picking singles off the front foot against spinners was tricky, so we stayed deep in the crease. At one stage, there was pressure, but the message was clear—I had to bat till the end. The first one boosted my confidence, while the second got me closer to my hundred. I enjoyed both!"

Najmul Hossain Shanto losing Bangladesh Captain on the other hand, “ Losing five wickets in the powerplay cost us the game. We fell 25-30 runs short despite a strong fightback from Jaker and Hridoy. We also missed chances in the field—dropped catches and run-out opportunities could have changed the result.Hridoy and Jaker batted brilliantly, especially against spin. It’s great to see their confidence, and I hope they continue in the next games. Our spin attack wasn’t an issue. Mahmudullah, who can bowl, missed out due to injury, but we could have done better with the new ball. Early wickets might have shifted the momentum. Conditions in Rawalpindi aren’t unfamiliar to us; we’ve played Pakistan there recently."

 Rohit Sharma, India winning Captain added, “Before any game, confidence is key. As the match unfolds, emotions change, but handling them is crucial. We’ve been in such situations before, and KL & Gill showed great composure in the middle.It’s hard to judge based on one game, but we expected a dry pitch with little grass. That’s exactly how it played. As a team, we adapted well—starting strong with both bat and ball. Yes, there was a brief phase of pressure, but experience helped us navigate through it. Delighted for Shami! It’s been a long wait, but we all know his value. He’s developed into a true match-winner and delivers every time he’s called upon. Everyone has stepped up when needed."

Brief scores (Group A League Match):

Bangladesh - 228 all out in 49.4 overs (Towhid Hridoy 100, Jaker Ali 68; Mohammed Shami 5/53, Harshit Rana 3/31, Axar Patel: 2/43) lost to India - 231/4 in 46.3 overs (Shubman Gill 101*, KL Rahul 41*, Rohit Sharma 41; Rishad Hossain 2/38, Taskin Ahmed 1/36, Mustafizur Rahman 1/62) by six wickets and 3.3 overs to spare. Player of the Match:  Shubman Gill (India)

Photo Cover: The ICC no.1 ranked batter Shubman Gill smashed his second ODI hundred on the trot on a winning cause was named the Player of the Match (Photo courtesy BCCI/ICC)

Photo Above: Indian seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami (2^nd from Right) celebrates one of his five Bangladesh wickets with his team mates