India started their Asia Cup 2025 journey with a dominant display against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. The former champions chased down a modest 58-run target with ease, losing just one wicket and finishing the game with 93 balls still left.
Opener Sharma was the star of the chase. He smashed a quick 30 runs from only 16 balls, hitting two boundaries and three towering sixes. Alongside him, Shubman Gill added 20 runs from nine balls and stayed unbeaten. Their opening partnership of 48 runs set the tone for the win. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav also contributed with seven not out. For UAE, Junaid Siddique was the lone wicket-taker.
Earlier, Yadav’s decision to bowl first paid off handsomely as India bundled out UAE for just 57 in 13.1 overs. The UAE side had actually begun well, with Alishan Sharafu and captain Muhammad Waseem putting on a brisk 26-run stand. Sharafu played positively and made 22 runs from 17 balls, which included three fours and a six. But his promising start was cut short in the fourth over when Jasprit Bumrah produced a deadly yorker to dismiss him.
The collapse soon followed. In the very next over, Varun Chakravarthy struck by removing Muhammad Zohaib for only two. UAE slipped to 29 for two. Skipper Waseem tried to fight back and built an 18-run stand with Rahul Chopra, who made just three. Waseem scored 19 runs off 22 balls with three boundaries before he too fell. Once he departed, the innings unraveled completely.
The final six wickets fell for only nine runs, leaving UAE all out for a paltry 57. The Indian bowlers dominated every stage. Kuldeep Yadav was the standout, taking four wickets for just seven runs in 2.1 overs. Shivam Dube also impressed, bagging three wickets. Meanwhile, Axar Patel, Chakravarthy, and Bumrah each added one wicket to the tally.
With this crushing victory, India announced their strong presence in the Asia Cup 2025. Their emphatic win highlighted both their sharp bowling attack and explosive batting power. For UAE, the heavy defeat served as a tough reminder of the gap in quality at this stage of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup.
