Kuldeep Yadav credited fitness and bowling improvements for his brilliant 4/7, including three wickets in a single over.
UAE were bundled out for 57 in 13.1 overs, with only Alishan Sharafu (22) and skipper Muhammad Waseem (19) reaching double figures.
India sealed a record nine-wicket win with 93 balls to spare, chasing down the target inside five overs.
Kuldeep Yadav credited his recent work on fitness and bowling preparation for helping him produce a match-winning spell in India’s commanding nine-wicket win over the UAE to launch their 2025 Asia Cup campaign in style at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The left-arm wrist-spinner was at his clinical best on Wednesday night, returning figures of 4 for 7 in just 2.1 overs, including three wickets in a single over, as India bundled UAE out for 57 in 13.1 overs. India then chased the target in just 27 balls to complete one of their most dominant T20I victories.
Everything was going perfect: Kuldeep
"It was tough for me (to not play a lot in recent months). I was working on my bowling and my fitness as well (with Adrian le Roux, our Strength & Conditioning coach), and everything was going perfect (tonight),” said Kuldeep, who was named Player of the Match.
“The length matters a lot, reading the batters. Specially in this format, the length is the main thing and reading the batters and what they are trying to do. Reacting to what the batter was trying to do (off the next ball)," he added during the post-match presentation.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl, India struck early through Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy. But it was Kuldeep’s ninth over that broke UAE’s resistance.
Triple Wicket Over
He first removed Rahul Chopra, who was caught at wide long-on by Shubman Gill. Next, he trapped captain Muhammad Waseem lbw while attempting a sweep, before bamboozling Harshit Kaushik with a googly to hit the stumps.
The triple strike reduced UAE to 50 for 5, sparking a collapse that saw them lose their last eight wickets for just seven runs. Shivam Dube then polished off the tail with 3 for 4, sealing a flawless bowling display.
India’s openers made short work of the modest target, with Abhishek Sharma smashing 30 off 16 and Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav completing the formalities by the fifth over.
The defending champions now face arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday (September 14) at the same venue, while UAE will aim to regroup quickly against Oman in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
