BAN vs IND Preview: Spin-heavy India face determined Bangladesh in Dubai
India and Bangladesh are set to clash in Match No. 2 of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Thursday, February 20, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This will be the first game of both sides placed in Group A of the competition.
India entered the tournament as favorites and is looking fine, having recently swept England 3-0 at home. On the other hand, Bangladesh is struggling, having suffered a 3-0 series defeat to West Indies and a 1-2 loss against Afghanistan. Their struggles continued in the warm-up match against Pakistan Shaheens, where they were bowled out for 202 and lost by seven wickets.
Historically, India holds a strong 32-8 record over Bangladesh in ODIs, but Bangladesh has won three of the last five encounters, including the 2023 Asia Cup. The last time they met in an ICC event, Virat Kohli’s century guided India to a comfortable win. Meanwhile, in the 2017 edition of the Champions Trophy, these two faced each other in the semi-finals, which the Men in Blue won after chasing down a target of 265 runs with nine wickets in hand.
Pitch Report
The Dubai International Stadium is known for its bowler-friendly conditions, with a slow pitch that challenges batters. Spinners often find help, especially on fresh pitches, while seamers could benefit from early cloud cover. The weather is expected to remain warm and dry, with temperatures around 20-25 degrees. Dew might play a role later in the match, making chasing a preferred option. Historically, only 22 out of 58 ODIs here have been won by teams batting first.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy
Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossai Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.
