India begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a Group A clash against “hosts” United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, September 10, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This match also marks the start of a new era in Indian T20 cricket under captain Suryakumar Yadav, who will lead the nation in his first multi-nation tournament following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the format.
For the UAE, it is a rare opportunity to test themselves against one of world cricket’s powerhouses, especially at home, having shown glimpses of promise with recent T20I wins over New Zealand and Bangladesh.
India vs UAE Head-to-Head & Team News
India and the UAE have faced each other only once in T20Is, during the 2016 Asia Cup in Mirpur, where India cruised to a nine-wicket win. In ODIs, India lead 3-0, including Rahul Dravid’s memorable century in the 2004 Asia Cup. Overall, India have dominated the UAE in white-ball cricket. That should remain the same until the UAE’s fearless approach under captain Muhammad Waseem induces an upset.
The Indian team management faces key selection questions. Shubman Gill is expected to open with Abhishek Sharma. Which means there could be no place for Sanju Samson, who is not suited to bat outside top four. That is where Jitesh Sharma comes in, pushing hard for a start behind the stumps and as a designated finisher.
The bowling attack could see a mix of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. However, Gambhir likes to include more multi-faceted players, which means one of these four frontline bowlers could sit out in favour of Shivam Dube, who has been working on his bowling lately under Morne Morkel.
India Predicted Playing XI
1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshit Rana/Shivam Dube, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy
UAE Predicted Playing XI
Muhammad Waseem (capt), 2 Alishan Sharafu, 3 Rahul Chopra (wk), 4 Asif Khan, 5 Muhammad Farooq, 6 Harshit Kaushik, 7 Muhammad Zohaib, 8 Muhammad Jawadullah/Saghir Khan, 9 Haider Ali, 10 Junaid Siddique, 11 Muhammad Rohid
India vs UAE: Pitch Report, Weather and Live Streaming
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) has historically offered spin-friendly pitches. However, this is the start of the season in the UAE, which means pacers could enjoy early movement, but spinners come into play as the surface slows down. The average first-innings score here is around 165, with par totals hovering between 170 and 180. With dew expected in the evening, captains may prefer chasing.
Dubai’s weather will be hot and humid, with temperatures between 41°C in the day and 31°C at night. No rain is forecast, but sticky conditions could test players’ fitness.
Match Details
- Match: India vs UAE, Asia Cup 2025, Match 2
- Date & Time: Tuesday, September 10, 6:30 PM local / 8:00 PM IST
- Toss Time: 6:00 PM Local / 7:30 PM IST
- Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, UAE
- Live Streaming: Sony Liv (App and website) and Star Sports Network (TV)
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