In Men’s Cricket, Bangladesh was 128 for 5 in 34 overs against India in their opening Group A clash of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai when reports last came in. Earlier, Bangladesh had won the toss and opted to bat.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team are favourites in the tournament with strong performances expected from Shubhman Gill and KL Rahul. The Men in Blue are high on confidence having just thrashed England 3-Nil at home in the ODI series. Team India is also eager to recreate the glory of the 2013 edition, where it lifted the trophy after a thrilling five-run victory over England in Birmingham. On the other hand, Bangladesh by confident captain Najmul Hossain Shanto looks to leverage their young pace attack.
The ninth edition of ICC Champions Trophy which is being co-hosted by Pakistan and the UAE, kicked off with a bang yesterday. In the opening match last night, New Zealand stunned defending champions Pakistan with a commanding 60-run victory in another Group A fixture in Karachi. Opting to field after winning the toss, Pakistan struggled to contain New Zealand, who posted a formidable total of 320 for 5 in their 50 overs. In response, Pakistan were bundled out for 260 runs in 47.2 overs. This also marked Pakistan’s fourth consecutive defeat to New Zealand.
Returning after an eight-year hiatus, the ICC Champions Trophy features the top eight ODI teams. Group A consists of India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B includes Australia, England, Afghanistan, and South Africa. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, scheduled for the 4th and 5th of next month, with the grand finale set for the 9th of March. Meanwhile, the much-anticipated India-Pakistan showdown is set for the 23rd of this month.
