India couldn’t have asked for a more emphatic start to their Asia Cup 2025 campaign. The Men in Blue bulldozed United Arab Emirates by nine wickets in Dubai on Wednesday, September 10, setting a slew of records along the way—including the fastest successful chase in men’s T20I history. The lopsided contest saw India mow down UAE’s paltry 57-run total in just 4.3 overs, with a whopping 93 balls to spare.
The night belonged to left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who ran riot through UAE’s middle order and finished with remarkable figures of 4 wickets for just 7 runs in 2.1 overs. Kuldeep’s game-changing ninth over saw him bag three wickets in four balls, sending back key batters including UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem, Rahul Chopra, Harshit Kaushik, and Haider Ali. By the time he was done, the hosts had collapsed from a shaky 50/5 to a dismal 57 all out in just 13.1 overs.
India Rewrite T20I Records
With the ball doing all the talking early on, the chase was little more than a formality. Openers Abhishek Sharma (30 off 16) and vice-captain Shubman Gill (20* off 9) treated the match like a glorified net session. Gill fittingly hit the winning runs off left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh—a bowler who once bowled to him as a child. Such was India’s dominance that it felt as if the teams were playing two different sports.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav’s decision to field first proved spot-on, as his bowlers gave UAE no room to breathe. Kuldeep not only decimated the opposition but also overtook Ravichandran Ashwin on India’s career T20I wicket charts—a personal milestone on a night full of them for Team India.
What Lies Ahead
For UAE, it was an evening best forgotten; for India, a thunderous opening statement as they look to defend their title. Next up is the high-voltage clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, September 14 at the same venue—a fixture that promises fireworks of its own. Meanwhile, UAE will look to regroup before facing Oman in Abu Dhabi.
Fans can expect more drama as the Asia Cup heats up—but for now, it’s Kuldeep Yadav’s magical spell and India’s record-breaking chase that has cricket circles buzzing.
