India cruised to a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their Champions Trophy opener in Dubai, powered by Mohammed Shami’s 5/53 and Shubman Gill’s solid 101*.
Bangladesh, opting to bat first, struggled early, slipping to 35 for 5. Towhid Hridoy’s gutsy 100 (118 balls) lifted them to 228, but India comfortably chased down the target, finishing at 231/4 in 46.3 overs.
Gill, India’s No.1 ODI batter, anchored the chase with a patient knock. Despite middle-order hiccups, including the dismissals of Rohit Sharma (41) and Virat Kohli (22), KL Rahul’s 41* helped India to the target. Gill and Rahul shared an unbeaten 87-run partnership.
Earlier, Shami shone with the ball, dismissing key Bangladesh batters and becoming the fastest Indian to 200 ODI wickets. His efforts, along with Harshit Rana’s 3/31, sealed the win. India now head into a crucial clash against Pakistan on February 23.
