United News of Bangladesh

Cricket great Virat Kohli became the fastest batter and third man to reach 14,000 runs in one-day international cricket on Sunday, before going on to hit a record-extending 51st century in the ODI format. Kohli started the day on 13,985 runs and was batting in his 287th innings in India's Group A game against Pakistan at the Champions Trophy. He powered the chase to finish on 100 not out as India beat Pakistan by six wickets with 45 balls remaining. Champions Trophy 2025: Kohli’s century guides India to comfortable win over Pakistan India's Sachin Tendulkar was the previous quickest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs, taking 350 innings. Tendulkar still tops the overall ODI runs scored with 18,426 in 452 innings. Another retired batting great, Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara, finished his career with 14,234 runs in 380 innings. Arch rivals India and Pakistan played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium despite Pakistan hosting the tournament because India is playing its league games – and potential knockout matches – in the United Arab Emirates.

Virat Kohli’s brilliant century and India’s disciplined bowling attack led them to a commanding six-wicket victory over Pakistan in their ICC Champions Trophy group-stage match in Dubai on Sunday. Chasing a target of 242, India comfortably reached the total in 42.3 overs, with Kohli remaining unbeaten on 100 off 111 balls to guide them to victory. Pakistan, after choosing to bat first, couldn’t capitalize on a strong start and was restricted to 241 all out in 49.4 overs. Captain Mohammad Rizwan (46) and Saud Shakeel (62) put up a crucial 104-run stand for the third wicket, but India’s bowlers never allowed Pakistan to break free. Hardik Pandya (2 for 31) and Kuldeep Yadav (3 for 40) kept the scoring in check, while Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a wicket each.  Champions Trophy 2025: Bangladesh eye to bounce back vs New Zealand Pakistan had aimed for 280 but faltered in the final overs, losing their last five wickets for just 41 runs. Khushdil Shah’s 38 off 39 balls added some late runs, but the lack of acceleration in the middle overs proved costly. “We wanted to get 280, but their bowlers did really well in the middle overs,” Rizwan admitted.  India’s chase got off to a positive start despite losing Rohit Sharma for 20, bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the fifth over. Shubman Gill (46) played fluently before falling to Abrar Ahmed, leaving India at 100 for 2 in the 18th over.  From there, it was all about Kohli. The former captain controlled the chase with his trademark precision. He reached his century in 111 balls, guiding India to victory with 45 balls to spare. “It feels good to bat in that manner in an important game where a semi-final spot was there to be taken,” Kohli said. “My job was clear – to control the middle overs and take on the pacers. I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs.”  India restrict Pakistan to 241 in Champions Trophy clash During his knock, Kohli became the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs, achieving the milestone in just 287 innings, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 350 innings. He also completed 158 catches in ODIs, surpassing Mohammad Azharuddin (156) to become India’s all-time leading fielder in the format.  Indian captain Rohit Sharma credited his bowlers for setting up the win. “We started superbly with the ball. We knew the wicket could get slower but backed our experienced batters to chase 240,” he said. “Credit goes to Kuldeep, Axar, Jadeja—all of them have played a lot. Rizwan and Saud stitched a good stand, so it was important not to let the game drift. Not to forget how Shami, Hardik, and Harshit bowled as well.”  Speaking about Kohli’s knock, Rohit said, “Virat loves representing the country, doing what he does best. Nobody inside the dressing room is surprised with what he did today.”  For Pakistan, the loss proved ongoing concerns with their batting and fielding. “We won the toss but didn’t get the benefit. We made a lot of mistakes today, and they’ve been repeated. We need to improve,” Rizwan said. He also pointed out how Kohli and Gill’s partnership took the game away from them, despite Abrar Ahmed’s breakthrough.

Bangladesh will look forward to making a comeback in the race for the next phase of the Champions Trophy 2025 as they face New Zealand on Monday in Rawalpindi. Bangladesh have a great memory of defeating New Zealand in 2017 when they faced New Zealand last time in the Champions Trophy. The teams entering this match with contrasting experiences. In the first match, Bangladesh suffered a big defeat to India, while New Zealand made a flying start to their campaign by beating the hosts Pakistan. India restrict Pakistan to 241 in Champions Trophy clash “From here we will come back stronger first,” Towhid Hridoy, who hit his maiden ODI ton in the last match against India, said after the match. Bangladesh batters will have to pull themselves together to make a strong comeback. Especially, the top-order needs to fire as expected. In the first match, the top-order failed to deliver a good start. Bangladeshi spinners can play a crucial role in this match on the slow surface of Rawalpindi, though, the wicket in this venue is traditionally friendly to the batters. Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons believes the venue can produce high scores, and he said the Bangladesh team has the ability to score 300-plus totals. “This is a big scoring ground and we have seen the score in Lahore yesterday,” Simmons said in the pre-match press conference. “So you are looking at big scores here. You are looking at 300 plus here.” Shakib’s return to Dhaka League uncertain as Rupganj change stance Bangladesh’s batting concern has been a consistent problem. But the coach said he has belief in the team. “In the last five matches, we have gone to 300 a couple of times. So, we have the ability to do it. In the last game, we didn't start well and we got to 200. so as long as we start well, we can get there,” he added. Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand captain, said they are not taking Bangladesh lightly. “It's a team we are not taking lightly for sure. We know we have got to be on, and on these big events, they can upset any team on their day. So, hopefully it's not us,” Santner said. Bangladesh faced New Zealand in 45 ODIs, and they have won 11 matches.

A disciplined Indian bowling attack kept Pakistan in check, restricting them to 241 in 49.4 overs in their ICC Champions Trophy group-stage match at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals. They struggled to forge effective partnerships when they needed it most. In contrast, the Indian bowlers managed breakthroughs in crucial moments that restricted Pakistan to a moderate total. Shakib’s return to Dhaka League uncertain as Rupganj change stance After electing to bat first, Pakistan got off to a cautious start but lost Babar Azam early for 23, caught behind off Hardik Pandya. Imam-ul-Haq followed soon after, run out for 10, leaving Pakistan at 47 for 2 inside 10 overs. Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the innings with a 104-run partnership for the third wicket. Shakeel looked fluent, scoring 62 off 76 balls with five fours, while Rizwan posted a slow 46 off 77 with three fours. However, just as Pakistan seemed to be gaining momentum, India struck back. Kuldeep Yadav dismissed both Salman Agha (19) and Naseem Shah (14), while Ravindra Jadeja removed Tayyab Tahir for 4, breaking Pakistan’s middle-order resistance. Champions Trophy: Pakistan win toss and bat against India Pakistan’s lower order failed to accelerate in the death overs. Khushdil Shah provided some late runs with a 39-ball 38, including two sixes, but wickets tumbled at regular intervals. The final five wickets fell for just 41 runs as India wrapped up the innings with two balls to spare. Kuldeep was the best bowler for India, finishing with 3 for 40, while Pandya (2 for 31) and Harshit Rana (1 for 30) provided important breakthroughs. Passion, politics and patriotism meld as Pakistan and India clash in cricket's fiercest rivalry

Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPDCL) club Legends of Rupganjs said they are not continuing the plan to play Shakib Al Hasan in the upcoming season of the event. On February 22, the club authority said they had finalised the plan to play Shakib this season. However, within a day, they had changed their stance. The Legends of Rupganj sent a letter to the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) saying that they are withdrawing Shakib’s name from their team. The club said they are postponing the plan of playing Shakib after discussing it with the player. Champions Trophy: Pakistan win toss and bat against India After the India series last year, Shakib was supposed to return home to play his last Test against South Africa at home, but due to the political shift last year, he was unable to come. After that, he was supposed to play in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for the Chittagong Kings but was ultimately unable to. He also faces restrictions on his bowling due to action testing. Shakib was affiliated with the ousted Awami League party. When he expressed his desire to return home, people including students who had led the movement against the previous government also staged demonstrations against him, which eventually pushed his homecoming into limbo.

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has won the coin toss and opted to bat first against India in their Group A game at the 2025 Champions Trophy on Sunday. The arch rivals meet at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium despite Pakistan hosting the tournament, as India is playing its league games – and potential knockout matches – in the United Arab Emirates. Indian cricket authorities have offered no formal statement about refusing to play in Pakistan, but some officials have suggested that the decision was based on security concerns. Passion, politics and patriotism meld as Pakistan and India clash in cricket's fiercest rivalry Pakistan got off to a poor start in home conditions earlier on – it lost the opening game of the tournament against New Zealand by 60 runs. It faces a must-win situation against India today to stay alive in the tournament. India won its opener against Bangladesh by six wickets in Dubai and will look to carry forward its winning momentum. Another win will confirm its spot in the semi-finals. The last time these two sides met in the Champions Trophy was back in 2017, where Pakistan beat India in the final by 180 runs in London. Pakistan has made one change – Fakhar Zaman is ruled out owing to an injury sustained in the opening game. Imam ul Haq is his replacement and comes into the playing eleven. India has fielded an unchanged eleven. The pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is expected to be slow in nature – a dual-paced surface that could aid both pacers and spinners as the game progresses. Evening dew could help the chasing side. Inglis leads Australia to record chase against England in Champions Trophy thriller Line-ups: India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Lokesh Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

It is a sports rivalry like no other in the world. When India and Pakistan face off in Dubai on Sunday, the cricket contest will be amped up by so much more — the 78 years of bitterness between the two arch rival nations, the heightened political hostilities, and the patriotic zeal of hundreds of millions of people. Cricket-mad nations India and Pakistan are competing in the game’s 50-over format for the coveted eight-nation Champions Trophy tournament that began on Wednesday in Pakistan. While six national teams have travelled to Pakistan for the tournament, India has refused to go there by leveraging its strong influence on International Cricket Council, the game's global governing body. Indian cricket authorities have offered no formal statement about refusing to play in Pakistan, but some officials have suggested that the decision was based on security concerns. India will play all its matches — including the one against Pakistan — at a neutral venue in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The game's political undertones In both India and Pakistan, cricket has become a symbol of national identity and every clash grabs the attention of more than a billion fans. And Sunday's match comes at a time when relations between the two neighbors have hit a new low. That animosity largely stems from the two countries' dispute over Kashmir, a restive Himalayan region over which they have fought two wars. Nuclear-armed rivals each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Compounding the territorial dispute are heightened tensions stemming from the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks that India blamed on Pakistani militants, a charge Islamabad denies. And sporting relations inevitably ebb and flow with the politics. Bilateral cricket ties have remained suspended since 2008, and the two national teams have only played each other in global events where they are always paired together in a group to ensure there is a contest between them. Even though the Indian team has not travelled to Pakistan since 2008, Pakistan played in India in 2023 during the World Cup, including before a hostile crowd at a cricket stadium named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Inglis leads Australia to record chase against England in Champions Trophy thriller So-called “cricket diplomacy” has occasionally thawed out relations but that hasn't been the case under Modi. His Hindu nationalist government has taken a tough stance on resuming friendlier cricket ties with Pakistan with many senior ministers saying Indian team won’t play in the country. Dozens of people in India and disputed Kashmir have also faced police complaints and sometimes even jail for cheering for the Pakistani team. “Cricket is the strongest currency in the eyes of this government which they have used to instigate resentment and anger against Pakistan,” said Sharda Ugra, an Indian sports writer. Ugra said while the fans of the two countries are eager to watch the two nations play more often, the contest “has been held hostage to ugly politics.” The eyes of hundreds of millions are on the game In sheer numbers, viewership for the India-Pakistan match dwarfs the Super Bowl in what Ugra calls the “greatest sports rivalry in the world” bar none. When the two sides played against each other in 2023 in India, the estimated viewership — on cable television and streaming services — was around 400 million. In comparison, this year’s Super Bowl averaged a 127.7 million across all platforms in the U.S. Organizers expect similar numbers for Sunday’s contest that will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. And it's a guaranteed windfall as tickets for the game sold out within minutes while billion-dollar broadcast deals have been hammered out. Media in both the countries are cashing in too. Pakistani and Indian TV news channels are providing wall-to-wall coverage. In recent weeks, TV commercials in both countries used patriotic fervor to poke fun at each other. Local authorities and private companies in both the countries have announced that they would set up giant screens in some city centers and inside shopping malls. Fans want more For many fans, this clash holds more value than any other sporting event in the world — and they want more of it. Duckett’s 165 powers England to 351 against Australia In India’s western city of Mumbai, cricket coach Anil Sawant plans to watch the game at a clubhouse along with his friends on a giant screen. “These matches should take place often,” 57-year-old Sawant said, as his students honed their skills during practice at the city’s Shivaji Park ground — a favorite for cricketers of all ages. Mohammad Ahmed, a 27-year-old accountant, has also planned to host seven of his friends at his home in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi city. All of them will watch the game on a big screen and he plans to serve them special chicken biryani. “And of course French fries and soft drinks will be on the menu too,” Ahmed said with a smile.

Australia made the record of the highest successful chase in ICC tournament history, chasing down England’s 351 with 15 balls to spare in a thrilling Champions Trophy encounter in Lahore on Saturday. Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis starred with an unbeaten 120 off 86 balls, leading the chase as Australia secured a five-wicket win. England’s innings revolved around Ben Duckett’s brilliant 165 off 143 balls, his highest ODI score, while Joe Root contributed 68 to help England post a formidable 351 for 8. However, on a surface that became easier for batting under the lights, Australia’s deep batting lineup made light work of the target. After losing Travis Head and Steve Smith early, Australia were under pressure at 27 for 2. Matthew Short’s attacking 63 off 66 balls and Marnus Labuschagne’s 47 provided stability, but it was the partnership between Inglis and Alex Carey that turned the game around. The duo added 146 runs for the fifth wicket, neutralizing England’s bowling attack. Carey played his part with a solid 69 off 63 balls before falling in the 42nd over, but by then, Australia needed just 70 more runs with plenty of time left. Glenn Maxwell ensured there were no late hiccups, smashing 32 off 15 balls to seal the win. Australia wins toss and elects to field against England in Champions Trophy match Captain Steve Smith praised his team’s ability to remain composed in the chase. “The guys were outstanding. We thought 350 was chaseable. Looked like they’d get 400 at one stage, but we trusted each other’s skills and controlled the back end,” Smith said after the match. England’s innings was dominated by Duckett, who played one of the best knocks of his career. His 17 fours and three sixes powered England to a strong position, but they couldn’t finish as strongly as they had hoped. Root added 68, and Jos Buttler’s 23-ball 23 pushed the total past 350, but England’s bowlers struggled to defend in dewy conditions. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood took a wicket each but proved expensive, while Adil Rashid (1 for 47) was the only bowler to maintain control. England captain Buttler admitted the conditions played a role. “350 is a pretty good score, but it was wet, and the dew was a worry. Credit to Australia, we couldn’t break that partnership. If we keep putting 350 on the board, we won’t come second too often,” Buttler said after the match.

England posted a massive 351 for 8 against Australia in their ICC Champions Trophy clash in Lahore, with Ben Duckett leading the charge with 165 off 143 balls. After being sent in to bat, England lost Phil Salt early, but Duckett took control and built crucial partnerships, starting with a 158-run stand with Joe Root. India, Pakistan set for high-stakes Champions Trophy clash Duckett reached his century off 95 balls and continued to dominate the Australian bowlers, hitting 17 fours and three sixes. Root contributed with 68 before falling to Adam Zampa, but Duckett remained the backbone of the innings, ensuring England kept the scoreboard moving. He eventually fell in the 47th over, trapped lbw by Marnus Labuschagne, but by then, England was well on course for a big total. Shakib joins new team in Dhaka League amidst uncertainty Jos Buttler (23) and Jofra Archer (21 not out off 10) provided late impetus, pushing England past the 350-mark. Australia’s bowlers struggled for control, with Ben Dwarshuis (3 for 66) being the most successful. Adam Zampa and Labuschagne chipped in with two wickets each.

Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are all set to prove their cricketing prowess in the high-stake ICC Champions Trophy match on Sunday in Dubai. The high-voltage match brings together two neighbours, with India entering as tournament favorites and Pakistan looking to bounce back from an opening loss. India started their campaign with a six-wicket win against Bangladesh, riding on Shubman Gill’s century. They have been one of the most consistent teams in global tournaments, and they enter this match in strong form, having recently dominated England in a home series. Pakistan fined for slow over rate against New Zealand in Champions Trophy Their squad remained unchanged from the opening game, with the spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel expected to play a key role on Dubai’s slow surface. In the pace department, Harshit Rana was preferred over Arshdeep Singh to partner Mohammed Shami in the first game, and India is likely to retain the same combination. India’s ODI form has been solid, winning four of their last five matches. Captain Rohit Sharma will look to lead from the front, while Virat Kohli’s experience in high-pressure games makes him a key figure in the batting lineup. Afghanistan aims for Champions Trophy glory, not just participation Pakistan had a tough start to their campaign, losing to New Zealand by 60 runs. Their batting struggled to keep up with the required rate, exposing vulnerabilities that India will look to exploit. Pakistan will miss the service of opener Fakhar Zaman who was ruled with a finger injury in the last match. To replace him, the Pakistan management added Imam-ul-Haq to the squad. Despite the early setback, Pakistan remains a strong team, particularly with their bowling attack. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf form a potent pace trio, while spinners will also be crucial in Dubai’s conditions. Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will be key to stabilizing the batting lineup. India and Pakistan have a long-standing rivalry in ICC tournaments. While Pakistan famously defeated India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, India has generally held the upper hand in global events, winning their last three ODI meetings.