India captain Rohit Sharma had a moment of sheer frustration on Thursday, February 20, after dropping an absolute sitter at first slip, denying Axar Patel what could have been his maiden hat-trick in ODI cricket. The Indian skipper’s rare lapse came at a crucial juncture when Axar was weaving magic with the ball in India’s opening Champions Trophy 2025 match against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium.
Axar Patel was in sublime form, rattling the Bangladesh batting lineup with his precision and turn. Introduced early into the attack, he struck twice in his very first over, sending Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim back to the pavilion in quick succession.
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Sensing a golden opportunity for a hat-trick, Rohit stacked the field with three slips—himself at first, Shubman Gill at second, and Shreyas Iyer at leg slip—to pile the pressure on Bangladesh. What followed, however, was an unexpected twist. Axar delivered a beautiful ball outside off, drawing a thick edge from Jaker Ali.
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The ball carried comfortably to first slip, where Rohit was perfectly positioned. But to everyone’s shock, the Indian captain fluffed the straightforward chance, much to his own dismay. He immediately slammed his right hand onto the turf in frustration before letting out a string of self-directed expletives.
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India had Bangladesh on the ropes right from the start. Mohammed Shami and Harshit Rana set the tone with fiery spells, dismantling the top order with pace and seam movement. Axar’s introduction only deepened Bangladesh’s woes, as India reduced them to five down within the first 10 overs. Ironically, Bangladesh had won the toss and opted to bat—only to find themselves completely outplayed on a track expected to assist bowlers later in the match.
