The Asia Cup 2025 is heating up with the India vs UAE clash tonight at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Match 2 of the tournament. After Afghanistan’s dominating 94-run victory over Hong Kong in the opener, the focus is on the second match of the Group A encounter. However, it promises a blend of star power and local pride. Let’s try to decode what to happen in tonight’s battle.
India’s Title Defence Begins
Defending champion India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign as strong favorites. However, the Men in Blue are all set to be fresh off their T20 World Cup 2024 triumph with a well-balanced squad.
Shubman Gill is returning to the top. Moreover, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh are also there to add youthful flair to the squad. However, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel are also ready to add all-rounder depth. Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakravarthy will look to dominate under light in Dubai through their bowling attack.
Head coach Gautam Ghambhir has highlighted versatility by focusing on batting depth till no. 8. His approach will give all-rounders a central role to ensure India remains flexible based on the pitch conditions.
UAE Banking on Home Advantage
The UAE, captained by Muhammed Waseem, will see this clash as more than just a group stage match. However, the Emirati is playing at their home. Hence, their side hopes local knowledge and spirited performance could challenge the dominance of India.
Muhammed Waseem said, “All teams are good, but this is our home ground. We will try our best and follow our plan and play good cricket”.
Batters like Alishan Sharafu and Asif Khan will aim to anchor the innings. In contrast, bowlers Junaid Siddique and Muhammad Jawadullah will find early breakthroughs. As of now, the team is an underdog, but this match is an opportunity to test themselves against a cricket giant and get exposure at the big stage.
India vs UAE: Head-to-Head Record
The UAE has met India only once during the Asia Cup 2016 in Bangladesh. On that occasion, India secured a comfortable 9-wicket win.
- Total Matches: 1
- India Wins: 1
- UAE Wins: 0
What to Expect Tonight
The Dubai surface is batting-friendly because shorter boundaries encourage stroke play. Moreover, a team should consider 180-190 runs competitive during the first inning. However, toss could play an important role, as chasing historically is easy here.
Probable Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Rahul Chopra (wk), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Haider Ali, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid, Aryansh Sharma
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