Spinner Kuldeep Yadav marked his return to the national T20I team after the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup final with a breathtaking spell of 4/7, dismantling the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as India stormed to a commanding nine-wicket victory in their Asia Cup opener in Dubai on Wednesday.
Asked to bat first at the Dubai International Stadium, UAE reached 47/2 in eight overs, with Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu showing early promise. But the evening quickly turned disastrous as India’s spinners revealed their fangs.
Kuldeep triggered a collapse, taking three wickets in a single over, as the hosts crumbled, losing eight wickets for just 10 runs. Their total of 57 in 13.1 overs was the lowest men’s T20I score against Indi a.
Dube, Bumrah and Chakaravarthy pile on the misery
Medium pacer Shivam Dube grabbed 3/4, while Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel chipped in with a wicket each.
The length matters a lot, reading the batters. Especially in this format, the length is the main thing. Tonight, everything clicked.
India smash fastest T20I chase in history
Chasing just 58, Abhishek Sharma (30) and Shubman Gill (20 not out) wasted no time, blasting boundaries and sixes to seal victory in only 4.3 overs – India’s fastest ever run chase in T20I history. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav added a quick-fire seven not out, praising his team’s all-round effort: “Clinical performance from the boys. The energy in the field carried into our batting. A perfect start to the tournament.”
Flashes of Resistance and Sportsmanship
Sharafu briefly thrilled the crowd with a six off Axar Patel and boundaries off Pandya, while Waseem fought hard with a few stylish strokes. But once Bumrah flattened Sharafu’s off-stump with a yorker, the end was inevitable. A rare moment of sportsmanship came when Suryakumar withdrew a stumping appeal against Junaid Siddique, who was distracted by Dube’s handkerchief falling mid-run-up. The reprieve was short-lived, as Siddique soon holed out to mid-wicket.
Brief Scores: UAE 57 all out in 13.1 overs (Alishan Sharafu 22, Muhammad Waseem 19; Kuldeep Yadav 4-7, Shivam Dube 3-4) India 60/1 in 4.3 overs (Abhishek Sharma 30, Shubman Gill 20 not out; Junaid Siddique 1-16) India won by nine wickets:
