Team India skipper Rohit Sharma displayed his sportsman spirit during the ongoing match against Bangladesh in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. Rohit Sharma bent down to tie Bangladesh batter Jaker Ali’s shoelaces in the second match of the tournament at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh found themselves in a challenging situation after winning the toss in Dubai on Thursday, February 20. They collapsed to 35/5 in just 8.3 overs. Tanzid Hasan scored 25 off 25 balls, including four fours. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar, and Mushfiqur Rahim were dismissed for ducks.
Rohit Sharma Ties Jaker Ali’s Shoelaces
Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali tried to stabilize the innings with a crucial partnership for the sixth wicket. Indian bowlers failed to pick wickets in the middle overs. The duo survived on a couple of occasions in the innings. Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya dropped simple catches, while KL Rahul missed the stumping.
During the 24th over of Bangladesh’s innings, Rohit Sharma displayed a great gesture of sportsmanship by tying Jaker’s shoelaces. The moment caught the attention of fans on social media, who praised the Indian captain for his gesture.
#IndvsBan
True sportsmanship gesture by Rohit..!! pic.twitter.com/rItN27Eu1z— herewith_naaz ⚕ (@HerewithNaaz) February 20, 2025
Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali Rescue Bangladesh with 100-Run Partnership
India’s bowlers reduced Bangladesh to 2/2 within two overs. Mohammed Shami provided the first breakthrough by dismissing Soumya Sarkar in the opening over, while Harshit Rana sent skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto back for a duck in the next over. Rana celebrated his wicket with an animated flying kiss.
Shami dismissed Mehidy Hasan Miraz for five runs in the seventh over, taking his ODI wicket tally to 199. Axar Patel then removed Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim on consecutive deliveries. As a result, Bangladesh lost five wickets inside the first 10 overs, giving India complete control in the powerplay.
Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali stitched together a stand of more than 100 runs for the sixth wicket. Both batters reached half-centuries during the stand. At the time of writing, the scorecard read 151/5 after 38 overs. For India, Axar Patel and Mohammed Shami have taken two wickets each, while Harshit Rana has one.
India and Bangladesh Placed in Group A in the 2025 Champions Trophy
India and Bangladesh are part of Group A in the 2025 Champions Trophy, alongside Pakistan and New Zealand. The Rohit Sharma-led team will take on Pakistan on February 23 and conclude their group stage with a match against New Zealand on March 2.
Australia, Afghanistan, England, and South Africa are placed in Group B. India have opted not to travel to Pakistan and will play all their matches in Dubai. The tournament, making a comeback after its last edition in 2017, consists of a total of 15 matches.
India last won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, defeating England in the final. Fans have been waiting for another title. India reached the final again in 2017 but fell short against arch-rivals Pakistan.
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