United News of Bangladesh

The Afghanistan cricket team is playing their maiden ICC Champions Trophy this year, and on the first attempt, they set their sights on the title of this big cricketing event. Hashmatullah Shahidi, the captain of Afghanistan, recently expressed this desire. Speaking ahead of their opening match against South Africa in Karachi on Friday, Shahidi dismissed the idea that Afghanistan would settle for a modest campaign. “We came here to compete, and our goal is to win the final,” he said. “We are not here just to participate. We have played high-quality cricket over the last couple of years. This event is a great opportunity for us.” Pakistan fined for slow over rate against New Zealand in Champions Trophy To back his claim, Hashmatullah said the conditions of Pakistan and the UAE suit them well, and they also have an experienced bunch of cricketers. Afghanistan reached the semifinals in the last T20 World Cup. Before that, they were close to reaching the semifinal of the ODI World Cup too. These memories of the ICC events have boosted their confidence. That performance secured Afghanistan’s place in the Champions Trophy, where they believe they have a real shot at the title.

Pakistan cricketers were docked 5% of their match fees for a slow over rate against New Zealand during the opening game of the Champions Trophy. Pakistan was one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration as New Zealand won by 60 runs in the Group A game on Wednesday, the ICC said on Thursday. Big blow for Pakistan as Fakhar out of Champions Trophy ahead of India match Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan pleaded guilty to the offense with no formal hearing required thereafter, the ICC added.

Shubman Gill scored a century to chase down a below-par target of 229 and guided India to a comfortable six-wicket win over Bangladesh on Thursday in Dubai. With this win, India made a flying start to their ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Shubman remained unbeaten for 101. Before his ton, Mohammad Shami bagged five wickets to set the tone for India. Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain took two wickets for 38 runs, but it was not enough for them to challenge India’s formidable batting line. India chased down the target inside 47 overs. Earlier, Towhid Hridoy hit his maiden ODI century. Riding on his century, Bangladesh posted 228 in 49.4 overs despite suffering an early batting collapse which saw them reeling at 35 for five wickets. Towhid reached his ton off 114 balls. He hit six fours and two sixes. Towards the end of his innings, Towhid visibly struggled with a hamstring injury in his leg. He relied primarily on singles to reach his century. Bangladesh opted to bat first, winning the toss, but failed to build a good start. Three of their top-five batters failed to reach a double-digit total, with two of them suffering a duck each. They lost the first wicket in the first over, when Soumya Sarkar fell prey to Mohammad Shami for a duck. The left-handed batter tried to drive to the mid-off but only managed an inside edge to the Indian wicketkeeper. In the next over, Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto fell for another duck. He faced only two balls. He failed to drive Harsit Rana’s outswinging delivery. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mushfiqur Rahim also failed to produce good batting. Miraz scored 5, and Mushfiqur suffered a first-ball duck. Opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim fell for 25. After losing five for 35 in the ninth over of the innings, Towhid and Jaker steadied the innings for Bangladesh, forging a formidable stand of 154 runs in the sixth wicket, facing 206 deliveries. At the end of the match, Bangladesh’s captain Najmul credited Towhid and Jaker, but said the failure of the earlier batters cost them the match. “I think the first powerplay, the way we batted, the game cost us at that point,” Najmul said. “Very hard for the lower order to recover. The way Hridoy and Jaker batted was brilliant.” Towhid was dismissed at 100 in the last over. While he was the best batter for Bangladesh, Jaker Ali was right behind him scoring 68 off 114. For India, right-arm pacer Mohammad Shami bagged five wickets for 53 runs. It was the sixth five-for of Shami in ODIs, the first against Bangladesh. Harshit Rana took three wickets, while Axar Patel scalped two. Bangladesh will play New Zealand and Pakistan in their next two matches on February 24, and 27.

India beat Bangladesh by 6 wickets in their first match of the ICC Champions Trophy on Thursday in Dubai. Bangladesh batted first and posted 228 riding on a hard-fought ton of Towhid Hridoy. He scored 100. Jaker Ali scored 68. In the sixth wicket stand, Jaker and Towhid added 154 runs after Bangladesh lost 5 for 35 runs. Mohammad Shami bagged five for 53. In reply, India chased the target riding on the ton of Shuvman Gill. India chased the target in 47 overs. Gill remained unbeaten for 101.

Towhid Hridoy smashed his maiden ODI century in Bangladesh’s first match in the ICC Champions Trophy against India in Dubai on Thursday. Riding on his century, Bangladesh posted 228 in 49.4 overs despite suffering an early batting collapse that saw them reeling at 35 for five wickets. Towhid reached his century off 114 balls. He hit six fours and two sixes. Big blow for Pakistan as Fakhar out of Champions Trophy ahead of India match Towards the end of his innings, Towhid visibly struggled with a hamstring injury in his leg. He relied primarily on singles to reach his century. Bangladesh opted to bat first, winning the toss, but failed to build a good start. Three of their top five batters failed to reach a double-digit total, with two of them suffering a duck each. They lost the first wicket in the first over when Soumya Sarkar fell prey to Mohammad Shami for a duck. The left-handed batter tried to drive to the mid-off but only managed an inside edge to the Indian wicketkeeper. In the next over, Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto fell for another duck. He faced only two balls. He failed to drive Harsit Rana’s outswinging delivery. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mushfiqur Rahim also failed to produce good batting. Miraz scored 5, and Mushfiqur suffered a first-ball duck. Opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim fell for 25. After losing five for 35 inside the ninth over of the innings, Towhid and Jaker steadied the innings for Bangladesh, forging a formidable stand of 154 runs in the sixth wicket stand, facing 206 deliveries.Towhid was dismissed at 100 in the last over. While he was the best batter for Bangladesh, Jaker Ali was right behind him, scoring 68 off 114. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Bangladesh in trouble  losing 5 wickets quickly  vs India For India, right-arm pacer Mohammad Shami bagged five wickets for 53 runs. It was the sixth five-for of Shami in ODIs, first against Bangladesh. Harshit Rana took three wickets, while Axar Patel scalped two.

Ahead of their ICC Champions Trophy clash against arc-rival India on Sunday, Pakistan suffered a big blow as their key batter Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out due to an injury he sustained during the match against New Zealand.  Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed Imam Ul Haque will be the replacement for Fakhar in their squad.  Fakhar was Pakistan’s main weapon when they beat India to win the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. Now, when they are set to face India again in the same event to defend their title, Fakhar is missing out.  ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Bangladesh in trouble  losing 5 wickets quickly  vs India He shared the sad news for Pakistan fans on his social media page.  “I have been privileged enough to represent Pakistan multiple times with pride,” Fakhar wrote on his Instagram profile. “Unfortunately I’m now out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 but surely Allah is the best planner. Grateful for the opportunity. I will be backing our boys in green from home,” he added. Fakhar played 86 ODIs for Pakistan and scored more than 3600 runs with 11 centuries and 17 half centuries.

Bangladesh are in trouble in their first match of the ICC Champions Trophy against India in Dubai, losing five wickets inside the 9th over of the innings.  Bangladesh, who opted to bat first winning the toss, failed to build a good start. Three of their top-five batters failed to reach a double-digit total, with two of them suffering a duck each.  ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Bangladesh opt to bat first vs India They lost the first wicket in the first over, when Soumya Sarkar fell prey to Mohammad Shami for a duck. The left-handed batter tried to drive to the mid-off but only managed an inside edge to the Indian wicket-keeper.  In the next over, Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto fell for another duck. He faced only two balls. He failed to drive Harsit Rana’s out swinging delivery.  Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mushfiqur Rahim also failed to produce good batting. Miraz scored 5, and Mushfiqur suffered a first-ball duck.  Opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim fell for 25.  At the end of the 19th over, Bangladesh were batting at 70 for five, with Jaker Ali and Towhid Hridy were not out for 20 and 18 respectively. Shami and Axar Patel scalped two wickets each. Axar’s two wickets came in two consecutive deliveries, when he removed Tanzid and Mushfiqur in the 9th over.

The ninth edition of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy tournament kicked off on Wednesday. Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates are hosting the tournament from February 19 to March 9, 2025. The defending champion is Pakistan.  Fixtures and Schedules of the 2025 Men’s ICC Champions Trophy Table: Full Fixtures of ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 Match No Teams Venue Date Time (BDT) 1 Pakistan v New Zealand National Stadium, Karachi 19 Feb 3.0 PM  2 Bangladesh v India Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 20 Feb 3.0 PM  3 Afghanistan v South Africa National Stadium, Karachi 21 Feb 3.0 PM  4 Australia v England Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 22 Feb 3.0 PM  5 Pakistan v India Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 23 Feb 3.0 PM  6 Bangladesh v New Zealand Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 24 Feb 3.0 PM  7 Australia v South Africa Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 25 Feb 3.0 PM 8 Afghanistan v England Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 26 Feb 3.0 PM 9 Pakistan v Bangladesh Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 27 Feb 3.0 PM  10 Afghanistan v Australia Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 28 Feb 3.0 PM  11 South Africa v England National Stadium, Karachi 1 Mar 3.0 PM  12 New Zealand v India Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 2 Mar 3.0 PM  13 Semi-final 1 Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 4 Mar 3.0 PM  14 Semi-final 2 Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 5 Mar 3.0 PM  15 Final Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 9 Mar 3.0 PM  Read more: Big blow for Pakistan as Fakhar out of Champions Trophy ahead of India match Teams and Groups The top eight ranked men's national teams that qualified for the 2023 Cricket World Cup will compete in the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy tournament. Group A - Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Bangladesh Group B - South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan, England Venues of ICC Champions Trophy 2025  India will play in Dubai, while Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi will host the matches. - National Stadium, Karachi.- Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.- Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. Read more: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Bangladesh in trouble  losing 5 wickets quickly  vs India Prize Money The ICC allocated a pool of US$6.9 million in prize money for the tournament, a 53 percent increase from the previous edition. The winners would receive the grand prize of $2.24 million, with each team receiving an additional $125,000 for participating. Table: Prize Money of ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 Place Teams Amount Per team Total Champions 1 $2.24 million $2.24 million Runners-up 1 $1.12 million $1.12 million Semi-finalists 2 $560,000 $1.12 million 5th–6th place (Group stage) 2 $350,000 $700,000 7th–8th place (Group stage) 2 $140,000 $280,000 Participants 8 $125,000 $1 million Total 8 $6.9 million Read more: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: New Zealand outclass Pakistan after Young, Latham hit centuries Bangladesh’s schedule for the Men’s ICC 2025 Champions Trophy Here is the full schedule for the Bangladesh cricket team at the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy: Table: Fixtures of Bangla Team ICC in the Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 Match No Teams Venue Date Time (BDT) 2 Bangladesh v India Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 20 Feb 3.0 PM  6 Bangladesh v New Zealand Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 24 Feb 3.0 PM 9 Pakistan v Bangladesh Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 27 Feb 3.0 PM  Bangladesh Squad for ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana. Read more: Three-decade wait ends as Pakistan hosts Champions Trophy

Bangladesh have won the toss and opted to bat first in their maiden match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against India. India entered the event as one of the favourites to win this year’s title. Bangladesh posed some strong challenges to India in recent years. But India has been a tough opponent for Bangladesh for many years. Bangladesh has only eight ODI wins against India. They have to put their best foot forward to beat India in this match in Dubai. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: New Zealand outclass Pakistan after Young, Latham hit centuries Bangladesh included three seamers— Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman— in the playing XI. They also have Rishad Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz as spin-bowling options. The Tigers overlooked Mahmudullah Riyad for this match. Bangladesh XI: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali Anik, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Young, Latham centuries propel New Zealand to 320 against Pakistan India XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammad Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav.

New Zealand beat the hosts Pakistan by 60 runs in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Karachi. Will Young and Tom Latham, New Zealand smashed centuries to guide New Zealand to 320, which Pakistan failed to chase down. While chasing, the hosts were tumbled for 260 in 47.2 overs. Khushdil Shah scored 69 off 49 balls, and Babar Azam scored 64 off 90 balls. But their efforts were not enough for Pakistan to avoid a defeat. Will O’Rourke and Mitchell Santner scalped three wickets each for New Zealand. Bowling first, Pakistan struck early, reducing New Zealand to 73 for 3 inside 17 overs. Naseem Shah removed Kane Williamson for just 1 after Abrar Ahmed had bowled Devon Conway for 10. Haris Rauf then dismissed Daryl Mitchell, putting the visitors under pressure. ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Young, Latham centuries propel New Zealand to 320 against Pakistan But, Young and Latham steadied the innings with a 118-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Young, composed at the crease, reached his century in 113 balls, hitting 12 fours and a six before he fell for 107, caught by substitute Faheem Ashraf off Naseem. Latham took charge from there, accelerating in the final overs. The left-hander smashed an unbeaten 118 off 104 balls, including 10 fours and three sixes, ensuring New Zealand capitalized on their platform. Glenn Phillips provided the finishing touch, hammering 61 off 39 deliveries with three fours and four sixes, before falling in the penultimate over. Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to contain the scoring in the latter half of the innings. Haris Rauf was expensive, conceding 83 runs in his 10 overs but managed to pick up two wickets. Naseem Shah was the most successful with 2 for 63, while Abrar Ahmed took 1 for 47. Shaheen Shah Afridi, expected to lead the attack, went wicketless, finishing with 0 for 68. With the Champions Trophy, an ICC event returned to Pakistan after so many years. But Pakistan failed to make the start of this event memorable.