Asia Cup: India Crush UAE by Nine Wickets, Kuldeep Yadav Shines

India made a statement in their Asia Cup 2025 opener, dismantling the United Arab Emirates by a comprehensive nine-wicket margin in their opening game on Wednesday. The Men in Blue dominated with both ball and bat, leaving the UAE reeling at every stage of the match.

Batting first, UAE looked set for a strong start thanks to opener Alishan Sharafu, who struck a quick 22. However, once Sharafu fell, the innings completely collapsed. Nine of the UAE batters scored fewer than four runs, highlighting a dismal display under pressure. In the ninth over, India’s Kuldeep Yadav produced a devastating spell, picking up three wickets in a single over, effectively ending any hope of a UAE revival.

Shivam Dube added further carnage, finishing with three wickets as the UAE were bundled out for a mere 57 runs, marking the second-lowest total in Asia Cup history. The visitors’ batting performance was widely criticised, with the team failing to build partnerships or handle India’s disciplined attack.

Chasing such a modest target proved straightforward for India. Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill opened aggressively, taking the game away in just 4.3 overs. Sharma scored a brisk 30 off 16 balls, while Gill remained unbeaten on 20, showing why his selection in the squad was justified despite earlier debates. After Sharma’s departure, Suryakumar Yadav joined Gill and comfortably steered India to victory, completing the chase in clinical fashion.

India’s all-round dominance—both with ball and bat—sends a clear warning ahead of their high-profile clash against Pakistan on September 14. With several changes in Pakistan’s squad, including the absence of stalwarts Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, India appear far stronger on paper, though cricket’s unpredictable nature promises an intriguing contest.

Playing XI:

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

United Arab Emirates: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Haider Ali, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Junaid Siddique, Simranjeet Singh

With this dominant start, India not only secures a morale-boosting victory but also sends a strong message to their Asia Cup rivals, particularly Pakistan, that they are in top form in the shortest format of the game.

ALSO READ: IND vs UAE, Asia Cup 2025: Match Preview, Probable XIs, Pitch Report & Prediction