Watch: Harshit Rana humiliates Najmul Hossain Shanto with controversial flying kiss celebration in CT 2025

Team India pacer Harshit Rana gave Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto a send-off after dismissing him in the second match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Harshit Rana gave a flying kiss to Najmul Hossain Shanto after dismissing him for a duck at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.

Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat in Dubai on Thursday, February 20. However, the decision backfired as they lost a wicket in the first over. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami removed opener Soumya Sarkar for a duck on the last ball of the first over. Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul completed a simple catch.

Watch: Harshit Rana Pulls a Flying Kiss Celebration After Dismissing Najmul Hossain Shanto

In the second over, Harshit Rana dismissed Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for a duck with a full delivery outside off. Shanto attempted a drive but failed to keep it down. Virat Kohli took a sharp catch at cover-point. Rana celebrated the wicket with a flying kiss as Bangladesh lost their skipper early.

You can watch the video of the wicket below:

pic.twitter.com/rohnKZSwwN

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Rana ended his first spell with one wicket for 15 runs in his four-over spell. The Bangladesh team lost five wickets for 35 runs in 8.3 overs. Shami picked up two wickets, while Axar Patel struck twice in his first over. Bangladesh will have a tough task ahead to post a competitive total against the Indian batters.

Harshit Rana Preferred Over Arshdeep Singh in India's Opening Match

India opted for Harshit Rana over Arshdeep Singh in their opening match of the 2025 Champions Trophy against Bangladesh. Rana, who made his ODI debut in the recent home series against England, impressed with six wickets in three games. The right-arm pacer made his debut across three formats.

Meanwhile, Arshdeep played just one match in that series, taking two wickets in a dead rubber after India had already secured the series. The decision to bench Arshdeep for the Bangladesh clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium sparked criticism from cricket fans on social media platforms.

The Wicket Looks Pretty Good - Najmul Hossain Shanto

After winning the toss, Najmul Hossain Shanto stated that the pitch was good. He cited their strong performances in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and past success against their opponents. However, he acknowledged injury concerns, revealing that Mahmudullah was sidelined.

"I like to bat first. Looks like a pretty good wicket. We want to put runs on the board," Shanto said.

Preparation has been good. We are happy with it. We had a very good BPL. We have played against them earlier. We have happy memories of doing well against them. We feel very good. The boys are confident. We have to play very good cricket."

"A couple of injuries are there. Mahmudullah has some injury. Soumya and Hridoy are in. We are three seamers and two spinners along with the batters."

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