The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has begun and the first match was played between New Zealand and Pakistan with Black Caps overhauling defending champs by 60 runs.
In the second encounter, Men in Blue will take on a underrated yet sometimes unpredictable Bangladesh on February 20.
The low attendance in the Pakistan-New Zealand Champions Trophy match in Karachi on Wednesday left former England captain Michael Vaughan questioning whether the local people were informed about the event.
However, that won’t be an issue when India faces Bangladesh in their first match 1,187 km away in Dubai.
The format of the Champions Trophy is succinct, resembling a knockout stage. And India are competing in Dubai where it happened four years ago. They started with two losses and witnessed their chances of advancing in the T20 World Cup close.
Bangladesh has triumphed over India in an ICC event only once — during the 2007 ODI World Cup. It was a defeat that pained India and led to their eventual exit from the tournament in the opening round.
On paper, Team India looks much stronger, however on their day Bangladesh have the calibre to upset any big team.
It will be important to see how they tackle the might of Team India in a tournament where every match is a do-or-die.
