NEW DELHI: Kuldeep Yadav’s artistry was far too much for a hapless United Arab Emirates side to comprehend as India stormed to a thumping nine-wicket victory in their Asia Cup 2025 opener at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday.
The defending champions hardly broke a sweat, skittling UAE for a mere 57 runs in 13.1 overs before chasing the target down in just 4.3 overs — their fastest-ever T20I win.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Abhishek Sharma blazed away with a 16-ball 30, while his opening partner and best friend Shubman Gill marked his return to T20 cricket with an unbeaten 20 off nine balls. Captain Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with a quick seven not out as India cruised to 60/1.
As it happened: India vs UAEBut the foundation of the emphatic result came from India’s bowlers, led by Kuldeep’s magical spell of 4/7 and Shivam Dube’s career-best 3/4. From Bumrah’s toe-crusher to Kuldeep’s wizardry, UAE never recovered once early momentum slipped away.
Kuldeep Yadav’s triple-wicket overThe decisive moment came when Kuldeep Yadav turned the game into a personal highlight reel. Introduced after Bumrah’s opening burst, the left-arm wrist-spinner dismantled UAE’s middle order in one sensational over, striking thrice. Rahul Chopra holed out at long-on, Harshit Kaushik was beaten all ends up by a googly, and skipper Muhammad Waseem fell lbw attempting a sweep. Kuldeep finished with 4/7, reminding everyone why he remains India’s most potent weapon in T20s.
Shivam Dube’s breakthrough spellOften picked for his power-hitting, Shivam Dube showcased his growing bowling credentials by cleaning up the UAE tail. Bowling at the high 120s with clever changes of length, he returned remarkable figures of 3/4 in just two overs — his best in T20Is. With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, Dube’s seam-up spells add valuable balance to India’s line-up and will please head coach
Gautam Gambhir.
UAE bowled out for just 57Once Sharafu (22 off 17) and captain Muhammad Waseem (19 off 22) — their only two batters to reach double digits — fell, UAE had no answers. The spinners hunted in a pack, with Varun Chakravarthy (1/4) and Axar Patel (1/13) joining the party. Incredibly, UAE’s batters failed to score off 52 of the 81 legal deliveries bowled, collapsing for 57, their lowest total against India.
Abhishek gives India a flying startChasing a modest target, Abhishek Sharma ensured India wasted no time. The left-hander cracked two fours and three sixes in a 16-ball 30, taking the pressure off Gill, who calmly flicked Simranjeet Singh for the winning four. India’s chase resembled a highlights package, sealing an utterly one-sided contest and setting the tone for their title defense.
Catch Lovlina Borgohain's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 5. Watch HereThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less