IND Vs UAE Highlights, Asia Cup 2025 Match 2: India Kick Off Title Defence With Thumping Nine-wicket Victory

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the second match of the 2025 ACC Asia Cup where India take on the hosts UAE in Dubai.

India and UAE have met just once in T20Is, in the 2016 Asia Cup. On that occasion, UAE managed 81 runs for 9 wickets, and India chased the target in 10.1 overs, losing just one wicket. Based on team strength and world T20 rankings, India start as overwhelming favourites.

Read the full story here.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed the importance of multi-skilled players across all formats. He emphasised that these players must provide batting depth, enabling the line-up to score runs until position eight. This fixture serves as a dress rehearsal for India's crucial match against Pakistan on September 14.

The perceived minnows offer an opportunity for the Indian team management to test combinations, which helps in preparing for deeper stages of the tournament. For UAE players, this match is significant. Facing Jasprit Bumrah or bowling to Shubman Gill is not a common event for an associate nation cricketer, and the Asia Cup offers them exposure to elite environments.

Read the full preview of the India Vs UAE clash.

The big question right from the time the squad was announced was what happens to Samson now that Gill is set to open. Samson has the ability to play anywhere in the order but in the recent times he has batted as an opener for both India and Rajasthan Royals. It seems unlikely that Samson will be pushed down the order, meaning he seems set to warm the bench.

India's likely XI: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy

The only previous T20I meeting came in the 2016 Asia Cup in Bangladesh. That night, UAE struggled to get going after electing to bat first. They were restricted to 81/9 in 20 overs, with Shaiman Anwar standing out with a fighting 43. None of the other batters crossed double digits apart from Rohan Mustafa, who made 11.

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The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has long been known for its balanced conditions, where neither batters nor bowlers dominate completely. Fast bowlers enjoy bounce and seam movement under lights, while spinners come into play in the middle overs to choke runs and force mistakes.

Recent numbers underline this balance. The average first-innings score sits around 144-145 runs in T20 internationals. Teams chasing have historically done better here, with 59% of victories coming for the side batting second. That makes the toss a decisive factor.

As per AccuWeather, the temperature in Dubai will be around 35°C at the start of the match at 8:00 PM IST. The humidity level will hover around the 65% mark, making for difficult playing conditions. However, the fans can enjoy and uninterrupted action as weather forecasts predict clear skies on Wednesday.

The India vs UAE, Asia Cup 2025 match 2 will be live-streamed on the Sony LIV app and website in India.

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D'Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra, Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Saghir Khan

India won the toss and elected to bowl first.

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

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

The Indian players break from their huddle as the UAE openers, Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu, stride out to the middle. Hardik Pandya takes the new ball for India, ready to get things underway.

A costly first over from Hardik Pandya gives UAE 10 runs to start with. Jasprit Bumrah, making his return to the Indian T20 side, takes charge from the other end with the new ball, looking to tighten things up early.

India turn to spin early as Axar Patel comes into the attack as the first change bowler. Jasprit Bumrah’s second over goes for 7 runs, with UAE managing to keep the scoreboard ticking.

WICKET! Jasprit Bumrah shows his class with a lethal 140 kmph yorker that rattles the stumps. Alishan Sharafu had no chance as he tried to bring his bat down in time, only to be beaten for pace. A brilliant strike from Bumrah as India draw first blood — Sharafu walks back for 22.

OUT! Varun Chakravarthy joins the party with a clever dismissal. Tossed up full outside off and drifting away, Zohaib goes for the inside-out drive but mistimes it badly. The ball flies towards backward point where Kuldeep Yadav backpedals and takes a sharp catch in front of his face. Zohaib departs for 2, and UAE lose another wicket.

Muhammad Waseem finishes the Powerplay on a high for UAE with back-to-back boundaries off Bumrah — first a wristy clip off a low full toss and then a smart carve over backward point. Despite losing two wickets, UAE manage to keep the scoreboard ticking and reach 41/2 at the end of six overs.

The temptation proves costly for Chopra! Kuldeep teases him outside off, and the batter goes for the big lofted stroke. However, he fails to middle it and sends it straight towards long on, where Gill covers ground and takes a safe catch. UAE lose their third wicket.

That’s a hammer blow for UAE! Waseem goes for the sweep but misses completely and is struck plumb in front. He opts for the review, but Ball Tracking shows three reds crashing into middle and leg. Kuldeep strikes twice in the over, removing the UAE skipper, and the chase is falling apart rapidly.

Kuldeep is weaving his magic yet again! A perfectly disguised googly sneaks through Kaushik’s loose defense and shatters the off stump. The batter was caught groping outside the line, leaving a big gap for the ball to exploit. A gem of a delivery as UAE slide deeper into trouble.

Drinks break and India are on the top after striking early and sending top five batters to pavilion. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy started early but it was Kuldeep Yadav, who struck three in an overs to reduce UAE to 51/5

Another one bites the dust! Dube hits the perfect length outside off, gets a hint of movement, and Asif pays the price for poking at it. A faint edge flies to Samson, who takes a sharp low catch to his right. India all over UAE as the collapse deepens.

Axar strikes! Tossed up outside off and gripping sharply back in, catching Simranjeet on the pad as he swings across the line and misses. The umpire’s finger goes up instantly, and after some hesitation, Simranjeet opts for the review. UltraEdge proves inconclusive with a flat line, but Ball Tracking shows it clipping leg stump. With Umpire’s Call in play, the decision stands, and Simranjeet has to depart.

Dube gets another! A full delivery nips back sharply from outside off, thudding into Parashar’s front pad as he plays without much footwork. The umpire wastes no time in raising the finger, and though it looked plumb in real time, Parashar sends it upstairs in hope.

Drama and dismissal for Siddique! First, he top-edges a wild heave straight up, giving Suryakumar a straightforward catch at mid-on. But before that, chaos unfolded—Dube’s loose rag distracted Siddique, who missed a pull and wandered out of his crease while arguing, only for Samson to whip the bails off. India initially had him stumped but withdrew the appeal after Siddique’s explanation, settling instead for the catch. A bizarre passage, and UAE are nine down.

A tidy leg break does the job! At 84.6 kph, pitched on a good length outside off and turning away, it beats Haider’s forward push and flicks the thigh pad on its way to Samson. India go up confidently, and with no reviews left for UAE, the umpire’s finger ends their innings at just 57.

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India’s chase is underway! Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma walk out to the middle with just 58 needed for victory. The umpires and players take their positions, and with such a modest target on the board, India will be eyeing a brisk finish and Sharma starts with a six.

India get going straightaway, picking up 10 runs off the opening over to set the tone for the chase. Just 48 more are needed now, with Rohid Khan taking charge from the opposite end.

India continue in top gear, smashing 15 off the second over to race further ahead. With only 33 runs left to get, the chase already looks like a formality.

Abhishek Sharma is in a hurry! He creams a lofted drive for four to end the over, before with a stunning 75-metre six over long on. India now need just a handful, and the finish line is within touching distance.

Abhishek’s quickfire knock comes to an end! Looking to take on a hard-length ball, he mistimes his flick and skies it towards mid-on, where Haider settles under it safely. A lively cameo from the opener, but India remain well on course in this tiny chase.

India seal the deal in style with 93 balls remaining. Shubman Gill finishes it off with a commanding stroke down the ground, capping off a ruthless chase. The defending champions cruise to victory with a massive win, stamping their authority from the very first game and leaving UAE with no answers on the night.

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Kuldeep Yadav: "Well, thanks to our trainer. Obviously, I was working on my fitness a lot with the trainer and also working on my bowling. Everything looks perfect at the moment. It's very important to hit the right length. I try to read the batters mind a lot."