GUWAHATI: Rohit Sharma-led Team India is set to begin their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a clash against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, February 20.
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This tournament marks the return of the Champions Trophy after an eight-year gap, and India will be eager to secure a major title, especially after falling short in the 2023 ODI World Cup final on home soil.
Although Pakistan is officially hosting the tournament, India will play all their matches in Dubai due to political tensions between the two nations.
Both teams enter the tournament with contrasting recent ODI performances. India dominated England in a recent three-match series, securing an emphatic 3-0 series victory. On the other hand, Bangladesh faced a rough patch, suffering a 3-0 whitewash against the West Indies. The Bangladeshi squad will be determined to turn things around as they begin their Champions Trophy campaign.
India will miss the services of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, but the team remains a strong contender. The squad largely retains its core from the 2023 ODI World Cup, with seasoned stars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli leading the batting lineup. The bowling attack features new faces, including Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy, adding variety to the squad.
One of India's major strengths lies in their all-round depth, with Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar offering balance with both bat and ball.
India vs Bangladesh: Head-to-Head in ODIs
-Total ODIs Played: 41
-India Wins: 32
-Bangladesh Wins: 8
-No Result: 1
At Dubai International Cricket Stadium:
-Matches Played: 2
-India Won: 2
-Bangladesh Won: 0
Predicted Playing XIs for IND vs BAN Match
India’s Probable XI:
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh.
Bangladesh’s Probable XI:
Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana.
