Bangladesh Captain Shanto Pinpoints Costly Powerplay Collapse in Loss to India

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto identified his team’s disastrous powerplay collapse as the turning point in their Champions Trophy 2025 opener against India in Dubai. Losing five wickets in the first ten overs left Bangladesh in a precarious position, making it difficult to recover despite a valiant fightback from Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Bangladesh aimed to set a competitive total. Openers Tanzid Hasan and Soumya Sarkar hoped to provide a solid foundation, but their plans quickly unraveled as India’s pacers, Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana, unleashed a relentless attack.

Shami, returning with a point to prove, struck in his very first over. With an impeccable seam position and slight inward movement, he forced Soumya Sarkar into edging the ball to KL Rahul, sending him back for a duck. India sensed an opportunity, and captain Rohit Sharma capitalized on it by keeping aggressive field settings and attacking bowling changes.

Harshit Rana then dismissed Shanto, compounding Bangladesh’s early troubles. Soon after, Mehidy Hasan Miraz fell victim to Shami, as Shubman Gill pulled off a sharp catch in the slips. The collapse continued with Axar Patel joining the attack and dismantling the middle order. By the end of the powerplay, Bangladesh found themselves struggling at 39/5, their hopes of posting a challenging total fading rapidly.

“Losing five wickets in the powerplay cost us the game. I think so. Hridoy and Jaker batted brilliantly, but we still made mistakes on the field,” Shanto admitted in the post-match presentation.

With Bangladesh staring at a humiliating total, Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali led a remarkable fightback. The duo stitched together a crucial 154-run partnership, stabilizing the innings and helping their side reach a respectable 228-run total. Jaker played the anchor role, scoring a composed 68 off 114 balls, while Hridoy took on the responsibility of scoring quickly, notching up his maiden ODI century.

“Impressive batting from Hridoy and Jaker against their spinners. I hope they will continue doing the same,” Shanto added, praising the two for their determined effort.

Despite Bangladesh’s efforts to claw back into the match, India approached the 229-run chase cautiously. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill played with controlled aggression, ensuring there were no early setbacks. Their 69-run opening stand set the platform, and even though Bangladesh picked up a few wickets in the middle overs, Gill’s unbeaten century guided India to a six-wicket win.

Shanto admitted that an early breakthrough with the new ball could have changed the course of the match. “If we got wickets with the new ball, it could have been different. We have played Pakistan there recently, and I am sure the boys will adapt to the conditions in Rawalpindi,” he said, looking ahead to their next match.