The second match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be played between India and Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium today. The tournament is being hosted by Pakistan, but the Indian team did not go to Pakistan and due to this, the tournament is being played on a hybrid model.
India's group includes Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand, which will reach Dubai to compete with India. Due to the tournament being small, the teams have less margin of error, so the Indian team will not forget to take Bangladesh lightly.
The Indian team will be led by Rohit Sharma, while Bangladesh will be led by Nazmul Hossain Shanto. India's record against Bangladesh in ODI cricket has been very good. So far, 41 ODIs have been played between the two teams, out of which India has won 32 times, while Bangladesh has been successful in 8 matches. One match ended without a result. The last ODI match between the two was played in Pune on 19 October 2023, with the Indian team winning by 7 wickets.
However, looking at the recent performance, Bangladesh has given a tough fight to India. Out of the last 5 ODIs, the Indian team has won only 2 matches, while Bangladesh has won 3 matches. Both teams have been face-to-face twice at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium so far and both times the Indian team has been the winner. The last match between the two was played on this ground in September 2018.
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium recently hosted the International League T20 (IELT20), which is expected to help the spinners with the pitch. The Indian team has included five spin bowlers in its squad for this tour, which makes it clear that the team is preparing a strategy keeping in mind the conditions of this pitch. However, the pitch curator pointed out that the surface is likely to help both fast bowlers and spinners. Dew can have an impact in the evening, so the team winning the toss will prefer to bowl first. According to the Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of cloudy sky during the match, which can help the fast bowlers. In such a situation, everyone's eyes will be on the selection of the playing XI of both teams.
The India vs Bangladesh 1st T20I match will begin at 2:30 PM IST. Both teams will try to strengthen their campaign in the tournament by winning this important match.
--IANS