India began their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a dominant nine-wicket win over the UAE in Dubai on Wednesday, September 10. The match was a very one-sided affair, as Indian players completely outplayed their opponents in all departments. It was not a surprising result for many, given that the country is only an Associate member of the ICC and is not at par with full-member teams.
India bowled the UAE out for just 57 runs in 13.1 overs and then chased down the target in only 4.3 overs. It is the fastest chase recorded by India in T20Is. However, it was the way India used their resources that stood out more than the margin of victory. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav have often talked about giving players a long rope, and after this performance, there may be no reason to tinker with the playing XI.
The highlight of the game was Kuldeep Yadav’s magical spell. The left-arm spinner took 4 wickets for just 7 runs, completely outsmarting UAE batters. He was well-supported by Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel, who also chipped in with tight spells, taking one wicket each. Shivam Dube contributed with figures of 3/4. It was clear that India’s spin-heavy attack was perfect for the conditions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Even though India played with just one full-time pacer in Jasprit Bumrah, the balance of the team was not affected. The plan worked because Indian spinners enjoyed the slow surface. This template could be India’s preferred strategy throughout the Asia Cup. While pacers like Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana may come into contention later in the tournament, India look happy to stick with spin as their main weapon.
Also, this tournament serves as a preparatory camp for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka. The conditions there will be very similar to what we are seeing in this Asia Cup. India will aim to finalise their best combination before the marquee ICC event, entering the tournament as defending champions. They will most likely continue with a spin-heavy attack there as well.
India have a world-class spin attack, as they showed in the match against UAE. With their upcoming clash against arch-rivals Pakistan, India will look to bring their A-game, and their spin department will definitely play a key role. In conditions like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which favour the spinners because of slow and turning tracks, it could be the difference between victory and defeat.
Team India’s combination vs UAE surprized many speculations
India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl against the United Arab Emirates in their Asia Cup 2025 opener in Dubai on Wednesday. There was plenty of chatter regarding India’s opening pair — whether Sanju Samson will play or not — following Shubman Gill’s addition to the squad as vice-captain. The suspense finally ended on Wednesday as both Samson and Gill were included in the final XI. Jitesh Sharma, who was also in contention to feature as wicketkeeper, did not find a place in the team.
As per the team sheet, captain Suryakumar Yadav is expected to come in at No 3 ahead of Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson, who are slated to bat Nos 4 and 5 respectively. India are going in with one specialist pacer in Jasprit Bumrah while the other fast bowling option is Hardik Pandya. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy are the two frontline spinners in the playing eleven.
India playing XI for the UAE clash: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
With this playing XI, Team India thrashed UAE by 9 wickets which prompted Former Indian All Rounder Irfan Pathan while praising the Indian team also questioned the team combination during the match.
Irfan Pathan questions India’s playing combination in the 1st match vs UAE
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has questioned the Men in Blue’s Team combination following their Asia Cup 2025 match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) . The game was played on Wednesday, September 10, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. India recorded its largest victory in T20Is by ball remaining as it chased down 57 in 4.3 overs in its nine-wicket victory against UAE in its Asia Cup 2025 opener on Wednesday.
Suryakumar Yadav’s side comfortably chased down the target inside the Powerplay after Shivam Dube and Kuldeep Yadav starred with the ball to shoot UAE out for just 57. It reached its total with 93 balls remaining. India’s biggest win so far came against Scotland during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, when it romped home with 81 balls remaining.
After the match, Irfan Pathan shared a video on his Youtube channel, where he praised performances of India opener’s Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma , saying :
“Shubman Gill came in and started attacking very well. Abhishek Sharma hit the first ball, it was an incredible start. You know, he has played consistently, but Shubman Gill’s approach was also tremendous. But one thing is clear: Sanju Samson did not come to open.”
With Gill opening the innings, Sanju Samson would have to bat lower down the order. The 40-year-old noted that if Samson takes the No 3 spot then Tilak varma automatically needs to go lower down the order and he questioned whether it could be the right move .
“Shubman Gill came to open. This means Sanju Samson will play out of position. And if Sanju Samson doesn’t go below three in the batting order, then Tilak Varma will play out of position. So when these players are under pressure, and the pitch is slow and the ball grips, will it be right for Tilak Varma to play out of the place? That will be a question,” he said.
Tilak Varma has an impressive record for India at No 3 in T20Is , scoring 443 runs in 13 innings at an average of 55.38 and a strike rate of 169.73 including two fifties and two hundreds. In the same video, Irfan Pathan also highlighted that Axar Patel’s batting role in the team might change with Shivam Dube’s inclusion and question whether he would be able to adapt to it. He said :
“Secondly, Axar Patel also used to play the floater role, right? Axar bowled well again today. But when he batted, he used to play the floater role. Now, because you have Shivam Dube, you might say that Shivam Dube is better at playing spin, so maybe he will be sent up the order.”
“And if he is not sent up, he will bat lower, probably at number eight. But then, if he comes up, Axar, who used to play the floater role, will bat lower at number eight. Will he be as capable at number eight? That will also be a question,” he added.