India vs UAE in Asia Cup 2025: Team India kick-started their Asia Cup 2025 campaign in dominant fashion with a comprehensive 9-wicket victory over hosts United Arab Emirates at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday. The match, which ended inside 18 overs, showcased India’s bowling firepower and batting intent, setting the tone for the tournament.
India won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that paid immediate dividends. Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav dismantled the UAE batting order with a magical spell of 4 wickets for just 7 runs in 2.1 overs. His variations and accuracy proved too much for the inexperienced opposition batters, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Supporting him brilliantly was all-rounder Shivam Dube, who picked up 3 wickets for only 4 runs in 2 overs. Varun Chakaravarthy also chipped in with a miserly spell of 1/4 in 2 overs, tightening the screws on the hosts. For UAE, only Alishan Sharafu (22 off 17) and Muhammad Waseem (19 off 22) offered brief resistance as the team folded for just 57 runs in 13.1 overs.
Chasing a modest target of 58, India made quick work of the pursuit. Young opener Abhishek Sharma blazed away to 30 runs off 16 balls, while Shubman Gill anchored the innings with an unbeaten 20 off 9 deliveries. Suryakumar Yadav added the finishing touches with 7* off 2 balls as India wrapped up the chase in just 4.3 overs, winning with 93 balls to spare.
This emphatic win not only boosted India’s net run rate but also sent a strong message to other contenders in the Asia Cup. The combination of spin brilliance and aggressive batting underlined India’s balance and depth in the T20 format.
With their first points secured, India will now look forward to tougher challenges ahead in the group stage, while UAE will have to regroup quickly to stay alive in the tournament.
Match Summary:
- UAE: 57 all out in 13.1 overs (Sharafu 22, Waseem 19; Kuldeep 4/7, Dube 3/4)
- India: 60/1 in 4.3 overs (Abhishek 30, Gill 20*; Siddique 1/16)
- Result: India won by 9 wickets
- Player of the Match: Kuldeep Yadav (4/7)
