India’s bowlers turned the tables in a stunning display at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, as Kuldeep Yadav and Shivam Dube wrecked the UAE batting lineup in the opening match of the 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup. On Wednesday, UAE crashed to a shocking 57 all out in just 13.1 overs—the lowest T20I total ever against India—giving the Men in Blue a golden chance to chase down 58 and boost their net run rate (NRR) big time.
UAE started strong, racing to 47/2 after eight overs. Opener Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu smashed early boundaries to keep the Indian bowlers on their toes. Sharafu looked in fine form, edging two boundaries off Hardik Pandya in the first over, then clipping Jasprit Bumrah for four and lofting Axar Patel for a classy six. But Bumrah hit back hard, bowling Sharafu for 22 with a perfect yorker that smashed the off-stump.
Varun Chakaravarthy joined the party next, dismissing Muhammad Zohaib with a googly that the batter slogged straight to backward point. Waseem kept the fight alive, hammering three fours off Bumrah in the powerplay’s final over—driving, cutting, and flicking with ease—to push UAE to 41/2. But that was as good as it got for the hosts.
Enter Kuldeep Yadav, back in the T20I squad and firing on all cylinders. The spinner sparked a dramatic collapse, taking the next eight wickets for just 10 runs. UAE couldn’t score a boundary for two overs, and Kuldeep capitalized. Rahul Chopra holed out to long-on off a flighted delivery, while Waseem fell lbw trying to sweep a straightener. The highlight? Kuldeep’s googly sneaking through the gate to bowl Harshit Kaushik, leaving everyone stunned.
Shivam Dube, stepping up as India’s third seamer, sealed the deal with a sharp three-wicket haul. He first got Asif Khan edging one away from his body—Sanju Samson dived low to pouch the catch behind the stumps. Dube then jagged one back to trap Dhruv Parashar lbw, and after Junaid Siddique skied a simple catch to mid-wicket, Kuldeep wrapped it up by having Haider Ali caught behind for his fourth scalp. Axar Patel chipped in too, bowling Simranjeet Singh lbw with a turning delivery.
Kuldeep finished with incredible figures of 4/7, while Dube’s 3/4 proved decisive in this UAE vs India thriller. Now, all eyes on how quickly India can knock off those 58 runs in this T20 Asia Cup opener.
Brief Scores: UAE 57 in 13.1 overs (Alishan Sharafu 22, Muhammad Waseem 19; Kuldeep Yadav 4-7, Shivam Dube 3-4) vs India.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
