Under the guidance of coach Gautam Gambhir, India have adopted a bold, all-out attacking strategy ahead of their Asia Cup 2025 campaign. Leading the charge at the top of the order is promising left-hander Abhishek Sharma, who will now be joined by Shubman Gill, replacing Sanju Samson as an opener. Despite Samson’s impressive record of three centuries in the past year, the Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman finds himself on the fringes, with Jitesh Sharma expected to take over the gloves.
A major boost for India comes with the return of Jasprit Bumrah to the T20I squad, marking his first appearance since the 2024 T20 World Cup win. While the team boasts undeniable strength, this tournament will be their first significant challenge following the retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja. Getting off to a strong start against the UAE in their opener on September 10 is crucial, especially with the high-stakes clash against arch-rivals Pakistan just days away.
UAE eyes upset against Men in Blue
For the hosts, the Asia Cup presents a golden opportunity to challenge the dominance of the Indian side. Though UAE failed to win any matches in their recent tri-series, they showed glimpses of promise, coming close to victory multiple times before faltering.
Should the conditions favour them, Waseem Raza and his teammates could pose a formidable threat. A surprise upset in Dubai is not beyond the realm of possibility, adding intrigue to India’s tournament opener.
India vs UAE, Asia Cup 2025 live updates: Toss
India captain Suryakumar Yadav wins toss, opts to bowl against UAE.
India vs UAE, Asia Cup 2025 live updates: Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy
UAE: Muhammad Waseem(c), Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra(w), Asif Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Haider Ali, Dhruv Parashar, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Junaid Siddique, Simranjeet Singh
