India vs UAE, Asia Cup 2025 preview: Men in Blue begin title defence in Dubai
India and the UAE have only met once before in T20 internationals, back in the 2016 Asia Cup, with the Men in Blue registering a comfortable win.
09 September, 2025
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Suryakumar Yadav will lead India into their Asia Cup 2025 opener against hosts United Arab Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 10, from 8:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
With Gautam Gambhir at the helm as head coach, the Men in Blue enter their third T20-format Asia Cup eyeing a record ninth continental crown.
"We are playing T20 as a team after a long time. But we were here three-four days back, had some good time together as a team, and we are really looking forward to this tournament," said the confident Indian captain in the pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday.
Players to watch out for
Shubman Gill: In the Asia Cup 2025, India’s batting hopes will be bolstered by vice-captain Shubman Gill, who was sensational in the recently concluded Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy in England.
Gill has already amassed 578 runs in 21 T20Is, including a blistering 126* and four scores over fifty.
Jasprit Bumrah: On the bowling front, all eyes will be on Jasprit Bumrah. The pace spearhead starred at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, claiming 15 wickets in just eight games at an average of 8.27.
Across his career, Bumrah has 89 wickets from 70 T20Is, maintaining a miserly economy rate of 6.27.
UAE vs India head-to-head in T20 cricket
India and the UAE have only met once before in T20 internationals, back in the 2016 Asia Cup. UAE managed just 81/9 batting first, with India chasing the target comfortably inside 11 overs.
UAE: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D'Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wicket-keeper), Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Saghir Khan.
Where to watch Asia Cup 2025 live in India
Fans can catch the Asia Cup 2025 live on the SonyLIV app and website. Matches will also be telecast on Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 1 HD, Sony Sports Ten 5 and Sony Sports Ten 5 HD.
Regional coverage will be available on Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 3 HD (Hindi), and Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu).
