Shubman Gill's century guides India to victory over Bangladesh

India beat Bangladesh by six wickets in their Champions Trophy opener on Thursday in Dubai, chasing down a target of 229 with 21 balls to spare.

Despite a gritty century from Towhid Hridoy, who battled through injury to score his first international hundred, Bangladesh's early collapse left them with a challenging total to defend.

The Tigers set 228, but India, led by Shubman Gill's composed century, comfortably sealed the win.

Opting to bat first, Bangladesh made bold selection calls, leaving out Mahmudullah and fast bowler Nahid Rana, while handing Jaker Ali a spot in the middle order.

The innings started disastrously, with Mohammed Shami removing Soumya Sarkar for a duck in the opening over. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto soon followed, caught by Virat Kohli off Harshit Rana's delivery.

Tanzid Hasan looked promising early on, playing fluent shots against Shami, but the introduction of Axar Patel turned the tide. Patel struck twice in the ninth over, dismissing Tanzid for 25 and sending Mushfiqur Rahim back for a golden duck. With Bangladesh reeling at 35 for 5, they were in serious trouble.

Jaker Ali and Hridoy then mounted a determined fightback. The pair added 154 runs for the sixth wicket, the highest ever in Bangladesh's ODI history, and also the best sixth-wicket partnership in Champions Trophy history. This record surpassed South Africa's Mark Boucher and Justin Kemp's 131-run stand against Pakistan in 2006.

Jaker Ali was reprieved when Hardik Pandya dropped him at long-off, and he made India pay by playing a composed knock of 68 from 114 balls. Jaker eventually fell in the 42nd over, attempting to accelerate but finding Kohli at deep mid-wicket off Shami's bowling.

Hridoy, having reached his half-century, shifted gears, launching consecutive sixes off Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. His century came when he nudged Shami through point for a single, visibly limping as he completed the run. His efforts ensured Bangladesh posted a respectable total, despite their early collapse.

Rishad Hossain provided a brief cameo, scoring 18 runs before falling to Harshit Rana. Shami completed a five-wicket haul by dismissing Taskin Ahmed in the final over. Bangladesh finished with 228 runs, a total that looked competitive on a surface offering assistance to both pacers and spinners.

Chasing 229, India made a solid start, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill racing to 51 without loss in just eight overs. Rohit, in particular, looked fluent, marking his 11,000th ODI run in the process—the second-fastest player to reach this milestone after Virat Kohli. He drove Mustafizur Rahman for two boundaries to bring up the fifty-run opening stand.

Bangladesh found a crucial breakthrough in the final over of the powerplay when Taskin Ahmed dismissed Rohit for 41 from 36 balls, the Indian captain mistiming a shot to Rishad Hossain at cover point.

Gill and Kohli steadied the innings with a cautious 22-run stand, but Kohli struggled to find his rhythm and was dismissed for 22 from 38 balls, edging a leg-break from Rishad to Soumya Sarkar at backward point. Shreyas Iyer, too, didn't last long, as Mustafizur's well-disguised cutter induced a mistimed loft, and Najmul Hossain Shanto took an easy catch at mid-off. Iyer's departure for 15 left India at 134 for 3 in 28 overs.

In an attempt to maintain a left-right combination, India promoted Axar Patel to number five, but the move backfired. Patel, attempting to up the scoring rate, offered a return catch to Rishad after scoring just 8 from 12 balls. At 144 for 4 in the 31st over, India still needed 85 runs from 119 balls.

Gill remained composed, anchoring the chase with his fourth consecutive fifty-plus score against Bangladesh. He struck five boundaries and a six, holding one end firm as wickets continued to fall. KL Rahul joined him at the crease with India still requiring 84 runs.

A missed run-out chance added to Bangladesh's frustration when Gill called for a risky single before hesitating, leaving Iyer stranded. However, Shanto's throw missed the stumps, and Mustafizur failed to collect cleanly.

Missed chances proved costly. Jaker Ali, after surviving a drop himself, spilled a straightforward catch at deep square leg, giving Rahul a lifeline when India were 172 for 4 in the 37th over.

Rishad Hossain was one of the standout performers in Bangladesh's bowling attack, claiming figures of 2 for 38 in his Champions Trophy debut. His leg-breaks removed Kohli and Patel, keeping Bangladesh in the contest.

India, led by Gill's composed century, completed the chase with a six-wicket victory, reaching 229 with 21 balls to spare. Gill, the world's top-ranked ODI batter, reached his century off 125 balls, combining caution with controlled aggression to anchor the chase.