Defending 8-time champions India will look to avoid complacency and get off to a winning start when they face hosts UAE in a Group A clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India who won the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup albeit in an ODI format would like to win this edition as well and they have got the team on paper to go all the way. After what was a one-sided game in the opener in Abu Dhabi, crowds will hope for a much closer game in Dubai although India may start as overwhelming favourites.
India are placed in Group A alongside UAE, Oman and arch rivals Pakistan. It is good that India gets to start their campaign against UAE as that will help them get into the campaign and shake of rustiness if any. India will be playing a T20I after January when they last hosted England. So, there could be some rustiness which they would like to get rid of in this game ahead of the big one on Sunday. UAE will be no pushovers as Muhammed Waseem’s team showed in the recently-concluded Tri-Series they have players who can play well and hurt the Indians a little bit. The hosts are no pushovers and will like to push India.
Overview
India are the most successful side in Asia Cup history with 8 titles which includes 7 in the ODI format and 1 in the T20 format. India won the T20 Asia Cup in 2016 but failed to reach the finals in 2022 in UAE. They would like to set that record straight this time around. Under Suryakumar Yadav, this side has a nice blend of youth and experience. This will be Surya’s first multi-nation tournament and will be a test and stepping stone for him ahead of T20 World Cup 2026. Under his captaincy, India has won 17 out of 22 T20Is losing 4 matches and were involved in a tie against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
India made talking points ahead of the event by not picking Shreyas Iyer despite having a prolific run in the IPL for Punjab Kings as captain. Yashasvi Jaiswal was also ignored although the southpaw made it to standby list which has Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel. Let’s now talk about the members we have rather than who we don’t.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have wreaked havoc in the opposition, with the two fearless openers going berserk in all phases of the innings. However, Samson’s recent dip in form in the T20Is has been a talking point, although the Kerala batter has three hundreds playing for India. With India’s Test skipper Shubman Gill getting named as SKY’s deputy, things became clear as to who will open the batting. Gill last played a T20I in August 2024 against Sri Lanka and is set to open the batting with Abhishek Sharma.
Sanju Samson will be unlucky to miss out as Jitesh Sharma the RCB keeper-batter who had a sensational campaign this year will most likely play in the middle order and maybe as a finisher’s role apart from donning the gloves. Jitesh had an elongated practise session both with bat and the gloves, suggesting Samson’s possible exclusion from the XI. Tilak Varma, who has been in tremendous form batting at number three, skipper Suryakumar, all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube are going to be vital for India on any given day alongside Rinku Singh.
Jasprit Bumrah is back in the T20I side for the first time since he bowled a title-winning spell in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa in Barbados. Arshdeep Singh, who is India’s leading wicket-taker in this format will be sharing the new ball with Bumrah. The inclusion of Harshit Rana has come as a surprise to many as back-up to Bumrah and Arshdeep as the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Prasidh Krishna overlooked.
Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav will take the spin-bowling responsibility which could be a key aspect in the UAE alongside the experience of Axar Patel who was previously India’s vice-captain when Gill was not around as he was busy with Tests and ODIs at that time.
Let’s now talk about UAE who have been evolving a lot under the able leadership of Muhammad Waseem. Waseem is scoring runs against top-ranked teams as well. UAE are playing the Asia Cup for the first time since 2016. The hosts scripted history by defeating Bangladesh 2-1 in a T20I series at home earlier this year. Then they nearly upset Afghanistan in one of the Tri-Series fixtures a few days ago.
The Waseem-led side has retained all players who played in the recently concluded Tri-Series against Pakistan and Afghanistan, with pacer Matiullah Khan and left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh Kang as the two additions to it. Left-arm tweaker Haider Ali has been in fine form, experienced seamer Muhammad Jawadullah, young left-arm fast-bowler Muhammad Rohid Khan and veteran pacer Junaid Siddique are the key bowlers who have to be on their toes to stop the Indian batters who are guaranteed of coming hard at the home team.
Muhammad Waseem will need the batting firepower of Asif Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Dhruv Parashar and Mohammad Zuhaib Khan to come good against the star-studded Indian attack. It will be a monumental upset if UAE get past the strong Indian team as India cannot and shouldn’t take UAE lightly even in their dreams as the hosts have the ability to stun big teams on their day.
Head-To-Head
The two teams have played only once and that too in Asia Cup only. It was the 2016 edition in Bangladesh where India met UAE and India won that match easily by 9 wickets first restricting UAE to 81/9 in 20 overs and then easily chasing 82 down by 9 wickets and 9.5 overs to spare. This was the only meeting between the two teams.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch in Dubai provides equal assistance to both batters and bowlers with fast bowlers taking 64% of the wickets historically. Spinners play an important role too in controlling runs in the middle overs. The pitch in general assists bowlers with some movement early on, before settling into a good surface for stroke-play. Batters will have to apply themselves as big scores are now always easy to score. On an average, 144 has been the score on this pitch.
Chasing has often proven to be a safer option in Dubai. Teams batting second have won 59% of the games here compared to teams batting first which is at 40%. The pitch tends to play more consistently in the second innings, aiding run chases. As a result, the captain winning the toss here is likely going to bowl first.
As far as the weather goes, the temperature in Dubai will be around 35 degrees Celsius at the start of the match. The humidity level will hover around the 65% mark, making for difficult playing conditions. However, the fans can enjoy an uninterrupted action as weather forecasts predict clear skies on Wednesday with no rain whatsoever.
Predicted XIS of both teams.
India XI: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarty, Arshdeep Singh.
UAE Playing XI: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Mohammad Zuhaib Khan, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah.
Key Players for the Match
Abhishek Sharma: The left-hander is one of the key players for India at the top as he is an aggressive batter and takes on the bowling from the word go. He has been in tremendous form as in the last T20I against England, he scored a majestic ton in Mumbai. So, he has to provide the headstart for India especially with Gill as his opening partner now since Gill is more of a steady player than attacking. Abhishek’s role will be crucial to note.
Jasprit Bumrah: Making a comeback to the T20I side since the T20 World Cup 2024, Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead the bowling as usual. He will be a key for India as he is their go to bowler in all phases of the game. He will have Arshdeep or Hardik for support, but India always looks up to Bumrah to fire. It will be no different and Bumrah too would like to get into some rhythm before sterner challenges awaits India.
Muhammad Waseem: The captain of UAE Muhammad Waseem is also their best batter in the team and bats at the top of the order. He plays in franchise leagues as well and not overawed by the oppositions. UAE will look up to Waseem to lead from the front as the captain can single-handedly change the game on its head. He has been in decent touch in the UAE Tri-Series and will want to do well in Asia Cup as well.
Junaid Siddique: The only bowler to get 100 T20I wickets for UAE, Junaid Siddique is a key member for the home team. He has the new ball in his hand and is expected to deliver for his side. Known for controlling lines and lengths, Junaid blew hot and cold in the Tri-Series. While he picked up wickets, he leaked too many runs. That is an aspect he has to control especially against a star-studded batting line-up like India.
Predicted Outcome of the Match
Anything can happen in the game of cricket especially in T20Is. But looking at both teams on paper and form, there is no doubt that India will start as favourites going into this clash and should win this contest. It would take a miracle and out of the skins performance from UAE to cause the monumental upset. They may well push India but we reckon India should come out on top.
Let’s see how things pan out as India begin their campaign against UAE at 8 PM on September 10th 2025.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: SWOT Analysis – India Aims To Defend Title