Champions Trophy: Gill's Eighth ODI Century Guides India to Victory Over Bangladesh
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Synopsis
On February 20, 2025, Shubman Gill's remarkable eighth ODI century led India to a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh, marking a successful start to their ICC Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai. Gill's unbeaten 101 showcased resilience, supported by Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, as India chased down 229 runs comfortably.
Key Takeaways
- Shubman Gill scored his eighth ODI century.
- India secured a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh.
- Mohammed Shami took 5 wickets in the match.
- Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul provided crucial support.
- India's Champions Trophy campaign began on a high note.
Dubai, Feb 20 (NationPress) Shubman Gill, the newly-crowned top-ranked men’s ODI batter, scored a resilient eighth century in the 50-over format and propelled India to a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh, marking a strong start to their 2025 ICC Champions Trophy campaign at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.
Following Mohammed Shami’s impressive 5-53 that saw India bowl out Bangladesh for 228, Gill took his time to build his innings on a sluggish pitch, scoring an unbeaten 101 off 129 balls, featuring nine fours and two sixes. While this was his slowest ODI century, it proved invaluable as India geared up for their next match against Pakistan.
Gill received solid backing from captain Rohit Sharma, who contributed a brisk 41, and later from KL Rahul, who navigated a challenging period to score a composed 41 off 47 balls, showcasing why he is favored over Rishabh Pant for the wicketkeeper-batter position. India completed the chase with 21 balls remaining.
In pursuit of 229, Gill commenced his innings with a splendid pull and loft off Taskin Ahmed, collecting two early boundaries, while Rohit took a moment to settle in as Mustafizur Rahman tested him with angled deliveries. Rohit soon found his rhythm, striking five boundaries, making him the fourth Indian batter to surpass the 11,000 runs mark in ODIs.
As Gill flicked Taskin over mid-on for four, Rohit followed with two off-side boundaries in the eighth over. Gill dazzled the crowd with a short-arm jab over cover for six and four, but Rohit’s innings ended when he attempted to loft Taskin and fell for 41 off 36 balls.
With the ball aging and dew settling in, Bangladesh’s spinners began to find some turn, compelling Gill and Virat Kohli to adopt a measured approach. Just when it seemed Bangladesh was gaining momentum, Kohli managed his first boundary with a pull off a short ball from Mehidy Hasan Miraz, but he soon fell, edging a cut shot directly to backward point off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain.
Gill reached his fifty in 69 balls, marking his slowest half-century in ODIs, despite Shreyas Iyer surviving a run-out scare. After slashing a ball through backward point, Shreyas fell on the next delivery, caught in the air by mid-off. A few overs later, Axar Patel was dismissed after a top edge off Rishad’s bowling.
Gill and Rahul exhibited a strategic approach, primarily focusing on rotating the strike and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. Rahul was fortunate to survive on nine when Jaker Ali dropped a catch at deep square leg. To exacerbate matters for Bangladesh, they bowled two loose deliveries that Gill and Rahul dispatched for four and six.
Gill's short-arm jab through mid-wicket for four marked the fiftieth run of his vital partnership with Rahul, who later executed a delightful cut shot through point for a boundary. Gill flicked and pulled Tanzim for six and four, respectively, before reaching his century. Rahul capped off the chase with a pulled six, leading India to a successful start in their Champions Trophy campaign.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 228 all out in 49.4 overs (Towhid Hridoy 100, Jaker Ali 68; Mohammed Shami 5-53, Harshit Rana 3-31) lost to India 231/4 in 46.3 overs (Shubman Gill 101 not out, Rohit Sharma 41; Rishad Hossain 2-38, Taskin Ahmed 1-36) by six wickets.
