India Makes History with Dominant Victory Over UAE in Asia Cup 2025 Opener

Record-Breaking Performance

India delivered a ruthless statement of intent in the Asia Cup 2025, bulldozing hosts UAE by 9 wickets in a game that barely lasted two hours. The match saw India record their biggest ever T20I win in terms of balls remaining.

Bowling Masterclass

India began their Asia Cup title defence by making short work of UAE’s batting, bowling the hosts out for 57 in just 13.1 overs. While UAE started promisingly, scoring 41 for 2 in their powerplay with their openers managing six fours and a six, they collapsed dramatically afterward, losing their last eight wickets for just ten runs.

The Indian bowlers, spearheaded by Kuldeep Yadav and Shivam Dube, dominated the proceedings. Kuldeep’s exceptional spin bowling proved too challenging for the inexperienced middle order, while Dube contributed with a three-wicket haul. The spin attack maintained an unrelenting pressure throughout the innings.

Explosive Chase

The Indian batters approached the chase with aggressive intent from the start. Abhishek Sharma led the charge with a quickfire 30 from 16 balls, while Shubman Gill played a strong hand with 20 runs from nine balls, including one six and two fours. Captain Suryakumar Yadav came in at number three and hit a first-ball six, with Gill finishing the match with a four towards long-on to complete the chase in just 4.3 overs.

Looking Ahead

This commanding victory serves as an important launchpad for India’s tournament ambitions, particularly with the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match scheduled for September 14. The win continues India’s impressive run in T20I cricket, having won 37 of their 43 T20I matches since August 2023.